The Trial
by hpmadness
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy has been accused of cold-blooded murder and Rose is involved in the trial for his life. As she digs deeper the case only gets murkier and the emotions she has shied away for so long rise dangerously close to the surface. Can she save him? More importantly, can her heart survive unscathed?
1. Prologue

My second story :D

Disclaimer: The characters you may recognize are not mine! Just the plot :)

ENJOY!

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><p><em>'Rose, please just listen to me.' he was literally begging now. <em>

_'Why should I Scorpius? Give me one good reason.' she snapped back, closing her book with a bang. _

_'Because I only did it for you Rose.' _

_'You hexed a guy who might have been interested in me, for me?' she asked her tone so cold anyone else would have run away. _

_But he was not anyone else. _

_He was Scorpius Malfoy, her best friend and confidante of five years, who knew her inside out. _

_So he pursued his cause. 'Yes Rose I did. Because I know for a fact that he only wanted to get into your pants.' he said staring her down. _

_They were silent for a few minutes before she started giggling madly. _

_'Did you see his antlers?' she chortled and he breathed a sigh of relief before joining in her laughter. _

_'And the red nose…' he added smirking at his own genius. _

_'He was a jerk wasn't he.' she said finally. _

_'Yeah and I just did not want you to get hurt.' he said. _

_'I appreciate that Scor, but I can take care of myself.' she said quietly. He wanted to argue but held back knowing her. _

_'I want you to promise me one thing Scor...' she said. 'Hmmm?' 'We'll never fight over a guy or girl again.' she said. _

_'I promise Rosie.' _

She awoke with a start finding herself back in her shabby office.

She rubbed her eyes cursing herself for falling asleep again at work.

She dragged her wandering mind away from her most recent dream.

Not exactly a dream.

A long suppressed memory which had decided to resurface at this moment.

'Weasely is the file ready?' Bill Robinson, her boss yelled.

'Almost!' she yelled back stuffing a few more papers into the folder in front of her.

Nothing good came from living in the past.

That's why she had stopped thinking about him for so long. Rather she had tried to stop. And she had almost moved on when this had to happen.

Out of sight, out of mind. How much she had hoped the saying was true.

But now he was very much back in sight. Flashing from every newspaper, every poster.

As she rifled through the last set of papers in front of her she caught sight of his face again.

The shard of glass already wedged seemed to pierce itself deeper into her heart.

The platinum blonde hair was its usual mess atop his head.

The face she knew so well was still handsome but much more rugged.

It looked like he hadn't shaved in months. Which was probably true.

Worst of all were his eyes. The silver, always twinkling eyes now had a haunted look. Girls swooned over his gorgeous eyes and he had always used this to his advantage. But now they seemed to have lost their charm, lost hope, lost life.

It was what scared her the most.

She handed over the file to her boss without another word, her mind still reeling in thought.

She would try to get him out of Azkaban somehow.

Sure they hadn't spoken in years now, but if she lost him forever she wouldn't be able to live either that much she was sure of.

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><p>Another old story I found in my file... As usual it's incomplete, but as with my other story I'm hoping I'll get around to finishing it once it's up here :)<p>

I might not be very regular with updates, but I'll put them up as soon as possible!

Any thoughts/ comments? Leave a review :)


	2. Chapter 1

Here's the first chapter :)

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine, just the plot...

ENJOY!

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><p>It was well past midnight when she entered her apartment, and it took her a while to adjust to the dark. As she lived in a typical muggle suburb she couldn't afford to use magic at home.<p>

She made her way across the familiar room and flipped on the light, flooding the room with brightness.

She squinted around the flat, registering the mess in which she had left it in the morning. A stack of Daily Prophets lay in the centre of her coffee table, the most recent one right on top, still untouched.

The headline jumped out at her '**Malfoy Hearing Today**'.

Underneath it was a half hidden photo of the older Malfoys.

A frail looking Narcissa stood along with her son and his wife.

Draco Malfoy seemed to have aged greatly just in the last few months. The previously haughty face had lost all its emotions, carrying a haunted look. Astoria looked pretty much the same, clutching onto her husband's hand. If you looked closely you would see the tears streaming down her face, scared for the life of her only son.

They stood in front of the ministry, distraught as ever at the harassment, waiting for the ordeal to end.

She threw the paper aside, knowing exactly what the article detailed.

Her eyes swept the room once more, taking in the coffee mugs which seemed to be scattered all around the room.

There were 6 in total.

Another one sat on the kitchen counter, next to her plate of untouched breakfast.

She had hardly settled to eat that morning when she had been called out to work.

Work.

Just the thought made her head throb again.

The papers she had been going through were still in messy bundles, next to the plate.

Rose tossed her bag aside and rubbed her eyes.

It had been a tiring, hectic week. With the trial getting underway she had had to help make a lot of preparations.

It was one of the biggest cases in a while, and a lot of big names were involved.

She was working as just an assistant but in the best law firm in that part of the world. The firm which had now been hired by Draco Malfoy to represent his son.

The hearing had to go off smoothly, and it was her job to make sure it did.

And it had, at least Day one.

The case was strong, and they had enough evidence to convict him of the crime.

The hearing was just merely a formality.

The only reason the lawyers were even trying, was the hefty sum Draco Malfoy was paying.

He truly had left no stone unturned to help his son.

But the most they could do this week was fight and put off his execution for another few months.

_Execution_.

The word made her shudder.

The next date in court was three days away. Three days to prepare. Three days to save his life.

She still hadn't seen him personally though.

That was mainly due to two reasons.

One, she wasn't important enough in the company to actually take part in all the proceedings. No, that was left to the big wigs. She was stuck to just preparing files and sometimes even bringing them coffee. She had never complained about her job before. In fact she had enjoyed it.

After Hogwarts she had taken a year off to travel the world. She had then returned and had undergone training to be a lawyer. Having only just completed her education, she had joined the firm only recently and had immersed herself into the work immediately. Being a coffee girl hadn't bothered her till now.

But now, when it was a question of his life, she definitely wanted to be involved.

But the second problem was that the security around him had been increased 10 folds. It was as though he was a hardened criminal and was waiting for an opportunity to escape. The thought was so absurd it made her want to laugh.

So as a combination of the two factors, she still hadn't got a glimpse of his face, though she worked just two floors above where they held him.

It was more than a year now since they had come face to face.

It still surprised her how much could go wrong in five years.

Just five years ago they had been best friends, inseparable.

They couldn't spend even a day without each other.

She had been completely in love with him, and he was blissfully oblivious.

Though somewhere she knew he may reciprocate her feelings, she had never come clean. It was so cliché it made her wince thinking about it.

And then she had lost him, but that was a different story.

Five years had changed him too. But she didn't believe he was capable of such heinous crimes.

She knew Scorpius Malfoy, and he was not a cold-blooded murderer.

No, it was more subtle changes.

She hadn't been too close to observe, but the whispers she heard at the office confirmed.

He was more uptight now. He wasn't speaking to anyone, not even to clear his name. He had apparently drawn himself into a shell, and nothing anyone did brought him out of it.

But that was understandable. He had been locked away in a high priority cell in Azkaban, with absolutely no one to talk to for almost half a year!

There had been an outbreak a few months back. A group of people, who had christened themselves"The Death Warriors" obviously drawing inspiration from Voldemort, began causing trouble.

The target had been muggles, and though the aurors had tried to bring it under control it hadn't prevented the death of Caroline Pierce, a young woman, hailing from London.

The group had never been seen per say.

Just a rumor that had been doing the rounds, which was confirmed by her death.

The efforts were redoubled to catch the people responsible.

But it was a dead end.

The attacks stopped soon after, and any trace of the group's activities disappeared.

The usual suspects, those branded with the dark mark were summoned again.

This time their families too hadn't been spared. Just a precautionary measure they had said, while bringing them in.

But it seemed to yield the results they had hoped for.

A simple spell proved his wand had been used to cast the spell. A few more incantations revealed that he had been the one to cast it. Scorpius had denied it, quite vociferously at that. But despite his cries of being innocent he had been dragged off to Azkaban.

The attacks stopped completely, and the world was safe again, as declared by them.

But the world of the Malfoys had been upturned yet again.

Not to forget that of his fiancée.

The word had such a bitter taste to it, it made Rose want to hurl.

June Rodgers, his fiancée, had cried, protested and made a complete ass of herself (according to Rose) in front of the entire wizarding community.

She had screeched in her high pitched voice, demanding his release.

She had almost hexed the judge and one of the aurors when they didn't let her meet him.

It had been a public campaign, and her face was in all newspapers and publications as she raised her voice to protect him.

But it hadn't any good.

It had just drawn a lot of sympathy for the poor girl, not to mention fame.

Rose gritted her teeth just at the thought.

June, with her long flowing blonde hair and sickly sweet green eyes, those perfectly manicured nails, the completely kissable, full, pink lips, made Rose want to break something every time she flashed her 100 watt smile. She was a perfect doll, in every sense of the word. Her IQ was in the negatives and Rose couldn't for the life of her figure out how he had fallen for her.

As the anger bubbled up within her, she quashed it down, trying to focus at the task at hand.

Rescue Scorpius from Azkaban first.

She could then think about how to rescue him from the bitch.

Rose dragged herself into bed knowing she needed to be energized for the next day. She fell into an uneasy sleep, knowing she had a tough task at hand, and she had to succeed at all costs.

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><p>I know it's slow, it's just picking up, I promise! Give the story a chance please!<p>

The idea came to me long ago, but I never got around to finishing it. So I still don't have an ending :P We'll just have to let the story take its own course I guess!

Until next time then (not sure when exactly, but soon hopefully)

:)


	3. Chapter 2

Rose arrived at work early the next morning, to try and put her plan into action.

She knew she had to get more involved, and the only way anyone would take her seriously would be if Draco Malfoy ordered them to.

She hadn't spoken to the man after she had lost contact with his son. In fact at any get-togethers if Astoria had approached her, she made excuses and run away before they could breach the topic as to why she never stopped by the house anymore.

She didn't know if Scorpius had told her the reason, and she most certainly wasn't going to.

So this particular task of convincing Draco Malfoy that she was the girl for the job wasn't going to be easy.

To make things easier however, Mr. Malfoy was already at her work place by the time she reached there.

The usually composed and dignified man seemed to have lost all his senses. Forgetting that he was a Wizard, he had Mr. Peter Blake, the head lawyer, in a stranglehold! The other 11 members of the team were standing around looking flustered and quite scared, while Draco was screaming his head off. Two security guards were unsuccessfully trying to restrain him. Mr. Blake was red in the face, sweat glistening on his brow as he struggled to break free from his grasp.

As he seemed incapable of speaking Miss Greene, next in charge was trying to make herself heard above the din.

All in all it would have made for a good laugh if it hadn't been for the gravity of the situation.

Finally someone had the sense to use their wand, creating a shield between the two men. Mr. Blake fell into a heap on the floor gasping for breath as Mr. Malfoy just stood, fuming quietly. All the lawyers rushed the Mr. Blake's aid, offering him water, and conjuring a nice fluffy couch for him as his face returned to its normal colour.

Rose took her chance and approached Draco cautiously.

From what she had gathered from watching the commotion, Mr. Blake had somehow implied that Scorpius was guilty of the crimes he had been accused of. That had set Draco off immediately.

And of course it had.

The man was already worried sick. He must have been on his wits end, and to hear the lawyer he himself had appointed talking like that!

Rose suddenly felt a huge wave of sympathy towards Draco Malfoy. From her time with Peter Blake in the office she had come to realize that he was anything but compassionate. Years and years of cases and trials, facing criminals every second day had driven all the humanity out of him. He was hard-hearted, every case was just business, a means of getting gold, nothing else. As it should be.

But somewhere along the line he had forgotten how to treat people as well.

"Mr. Malfoy" she said softly, holding out a glass of water to him.

He turned; ready to snap at her, but when he saw who it was his features softened immediately.

Seeing him up-close made Rose feel even worse for the entire family. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. The bags under his eyes seemed permanent, making him look like he had aged greatly since the last time she had seen him. His shoulders slumped as he noticed her, as though admitting defeat. He took the glass from her and drained it in one go before addressing her.

"Rose?" was all he said, confused and probably relieved at the same time.

She nodded, not quite sure how to proceed. But she was interrupted by Miss Greene before she could say a word. "Mr. Malfoy, I just wanted to apologize for Mr. Blake. He was just stating things as he sees them." She said, her voice sickly sweet.

"That's not an apology!" Rose cried without thinking. "Well Miss Weasely, I wasn't speaking to you now was I?" she said in the same tone.

"You can't talk to him like that! Don't you understand what" Rose began, not one to shut up quite so easily.

"Miss Weasely if you value your job, you'll stop talking immediately." She said, her voice going higher.

"Wait, you work here Rose?" Draco asked confused, intervening before things turned ugly. He must have sensed that Rose was going to argue, he knew her quite well that way.

"Yes she does." Miss Greene answered for her.

"Well he wasn't talking to you now was he Miss Greene?" Rose retorted, highly annoyed.

"One more word and – "Miss Greene began, but was silenced by Draco. "I'm not paying you to stand around arguing with your employees Elizabeth. So you may leave unless you have any updates for me." He said professionally, as though he hadn't just been strangling her boss.

Elizabeth Greene made an irritated sound before composing herself. She straightened out her shirt, something she did out of nervousness, before replying. "He's still not talking. We've all tried Mr. Malfoy, but he doesn't seem too keen on clearing his name. I'm not implying anything here, just stating how bad it looks. If he doesn't speak we'll not have a chance." She said softly.

It seemed to Rose that being around Mr. Blake had made Greene go the same way as him. But probably she wasn't as bad. Rose dragged her mind away from her inhumane employers and focused on what was really important at the moment.

"Wait, what do you mean he's not been talking? The rumors are true then?" Rose asked. "You don't know that? How can she be a part of the team and not know that?" Draco asked, addressing it to Greene instead.

"She's the coffee girl." Greene said scathingly.

"You mean she's not been given a chance? If anyone can get through to him it will be Rose! I assumed that was the only reason she was brought in on the case!" Draco cried, exasperated now.

"Wait, why would 'little-miss-know-it-all' be of any help?" Greene asked, as though she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Rose could be of use.

"They were best friends for 7 years! No one knows him better than her." he proceeded to explain.

"Were?" she questioned, catching the use of the past tense. "They had some personal problems, not that it's your concern." He said immediately, and Rose was glad not wanting to discuss the topic, especially in the present audience.

"Well, I still think Rose would be far more successful than any of us." He said firmly.

"He didn't speak to you either?" she thought out loud without meaning to. Draco's face closed off as he shook his head. "He's not responding. He just sits there… Astoria couldn't handle it." he said quietly.

"What about June?" she asked, dreading the reply. "She refused to try. Said that she wouldn't be able to see him in such a condition." Draco said, anger flashing in his eyes. "Has he been eating?" she asked, wanting to get all the information while she could. "He did, in Azkaban. But the past few days he hasn't touched it, not since we moved him to the ministry." Miss Greene answered.

Rose nodded, taking it in.

"Elizabeth get Rose up to date on the case. She should definitely be on the main board. She needs to have a say in the matter. Get the paperwork ready for her." he said, dismissing the older woman.

She went quietly, not wanting to disrespect the already distraught man.

"I know most of it already Mr. Malfoy." She said softly. She had got what she wanted of course, but now she wasn't sure what to do. "You need to have a better position to be taken seriously Rose, and now I think you do." He said.

"Look, I don't know what happened between you two; I don't want to know either. But right now he needs you Rose. He needs all of us. So I would appreciate it if you could speak to him. I know it's a long shot. It most probably won't work. But if it does…"

"I'll do my best Mr. Malfoy. But I can't guarantee anything. He literally ordered me out of his life, so I'm not too sure if he would be too pleased to see me." She said.

She hadn't told anyone the details of that conversation, and she hadn't ever planned to reveal it.

She winced as the words left her mouth, waiting for the questions to come.

But they didn't.

"I told you Rose, I don't want to know. I'm pretty sure however that he wouldn't care about any of that either at the moment." He said.

"So are you up to it?" he asked, and though her brain was screaming at her not to, she found herself nodding.

"Ok, I'll get it arranged." He said, standing up and walking out, leaving Rose to her thoughts.

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><p>With this fic I first started out as a proper mystery, but as I began writing and went with the flow it seems to have taken a different turn.<p>

It focuses more on Rose's feelings and revisitations to the past. More angst-y in nature than I like, really. But there is a case there somewhere, so do stick around if you like it!

Thanks for reading, I'll update as fast as possible. I have so many ideas running around in my head, but not enough time to type them all out :(

Do bear with me please!

Until next time :)


	4. Chapter 3

"Are you sure Miss Weasely?" Miss Greene asked for what seemed was the umpteenth time.

"Yeah." Rose said rather shakily as she gathered her nerves again.

"Look just try to get him to talk. If he even utters a syllable it will be progress. Do whatever you can. And don't push yourself too much. I'm not going to deny that this will be hard on you. It's taxing on me to see him like this and I've never seen him before. If it becomes too much to bear just leave, ok?" She warned as she led Rose to the lift. "Ned here will take you to him. You'll have to leave your wand behind Miss Weasely. I hope the dementors don't affect you too much."

Dementors? The word shocked Rose. After the war there had been a complete change in the wizarding system. Once Kingsley had been chosen the Minister and the uproar and chaos of the celebrations had died down there had been a huge upheaval of the existing rules. Kingsley along with other great names, most of who had been a part of the Order had sat together and brought great changes in the way the ministry worked.

The first thing to change was the judiciary. The Wizengamot had been all but dissolved, their powers cut down to a bare minimum. It would be fairer that way, it had been decided. Azkaban still stood strong, holding what remained of the death eaters. But it wasn't as harsh as before. At least that's what Rose had heard.

Dementors… the word sent chills down her spine. He had faced dementors. She shuddered involuntarily at just their mention.

She handed over her wand mutely and let herself be thoroughly checked in case she had anything that would help him escape. Finally she was made to enter the lift. She felt the warmth leave her as the doors of the lift banged shut. An unfamiliar chill took over her being, and she finally realized the true effect of what she had only learnt in theory earlier.

There was an overbearing presence of fear, and a feeling that she would never be happy again. But the latter wasn't anything new to her. She had been feeling that way ever since he had broken her heart all those years ago. However much she had tried to suppress the hurt before, it had always been there, a dull ache. But now it was back in full force. All the happiness was being sucked out of her, replaced with her worst memories.

The one that hit her hardest, which she had tried to forget the most was that of their graduation night, her biggest fight with _him_. The memory overwhelmed her as she had to relive her worst moments. It was nothing like what her parents, uncle or anyone in her family had faced. She had gotten off very lightly compared to them. After all they had put themselves through all that just so her generation wouldn't have to. But it was horrible all the same.

Ned her companion had conjured a patronus as they went lower, providing some sort of relief. At least she could think straight. But her mind was still filled with images of him, not helping her cause one bit.

The elevator stopped with a jerk, bringing Rose back to the present.

As the doors opened Rose braced herself for what was to come.

There was a reason she hadn't been put in Gryffindor but in Ravenclaw. She wasn't cut out to handle situations like this. But then again Scorpius had been in Ravenclaw too, and she knew he was facing much worse.

She gritted her teeth, knowing she had to do this, and stepped out into the dingy room.

The only source of light was from the silver eagle patronus flying ahead of her. As her eyes adjusted, she found herself in front of a heavy iron door. The cold was even worse here and she dreaded what she would find behind the steel wall ahead of her.

"You go in alone" Ned said stopping at the gate. "Knock twice when you're done and I'll let you out." He said as he muttered the necessary incantations.

The wrought iron creaked under its own weight as it swung open slowly from his mutterings.

For a place inside the ministry of magic, the room was extremely run down.

The air was damp and the atmosphere heavy.

Unlike the grandeur of the top floors in the ministry, the walls here were of stone. However some reinforcements seemed to have been made with iron.

All in all it made for an ominous place, an excellent prison. Rose stepped inside quickly, before she lost her nerve.

The door clanged shut behind her, leaving her in absolute darkness.

As her eyes adjusted she could make out a faint figure, slumped over what she only could assume was a chair.

Light seeped in through the cracks at the bottom of the door she had just come through. No dementors were visible, but she supposed they were lurking somewhere behind him.

The room was much bigger than she had expected, but there was absolutely no source of ventilation that she could spot.

She could feel the beginnings of claustrophobia but she fought it, knowing the task she had was far more important.

Rose took a small step forward, causing a lantern to light up in the far end of the room.

The light was extremely dim, but not weak enough to block out the image in front of her.

There he was, just sitting.

His shoulders drooped, and head bent low.

There were heavy chains linking his hands to either side of the slab he sat on, and his legs as well and Rose was pretty sure that they were the only reason he was even sitting. It looked extremely uncomfortable as it was meant to be.

She found herself wondering when the last time he had walked around was as she built up the courage to walk in further.

It was easier once she was inside, as her curiosity outweighed her fear.

She walked up to him as much as she could. The dementors behind him were gliding back and forth, almost as if they were pacing.

It was when she was about five feet away that she felt a barrier, an invisible wall of sorts, which she couldn't pass through. It surprised her, the extent of precautions they had taken to keep from escaping.

She was sure he was awake and had heard her enter. But he hadn't looked up, not once.

Maybe he had acted the same way whenever approached?

Well, it was now or never. "Scorpius…" she said quietly, praying he would respond. Her mouth was suddenly dry, her voice hoarse.

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><p>I'll upload soon! Thanks for all the alerts, reviews and favs :)<p>

until next time! :)


	5. Chapter 4

"Scorpius…" she said quietly, praying he would respond. Her mouth was suddenly dry, her voice hoarse.

"June?" he croaked, swiftly looking up, sitting upright.

The movement made her freeze, sending a flash of anger down her when she realized what he had said.

Even in the diffused lighting she could see him clearly. His sunken face looked if possible worse than what the papers showed. He was not clean shaven for the first time since she had met him.

She didn't miss the flash of emotion on his face either, when he realized it wasn't his beloved.

The sheer disappointment that it was her and not June.

He stared at her for a moment, face wiped clean of emotion. She stared back, trying to control her jealousy and misery which threatened to take over.

The moment was broken and he sank back into his earlier position, looking down at his feet once more.

There was an eerie silence for a while, where she continued to stare at him, trying to comprehend.

"No, I'm not June Scorpius, but I can bring her to you." She said slowly, knowing he was listening though he wanted her to think otherwise.

It had dawned on her that June was her only way in. He wouldn't listen to any other reasoning. She would deal with June Rodgers later however. Right now she needed him to talk.

The thought of hearing his raspy voice again sent shivers down her spine. What had they done to him?

"Come on Scorpius, don't you want to see June? Don't you want to talk to her? To hear her voice?" Rose pressed on.

He slowly looked up again and she knew she almost had him.

"Do you love her at all Scor? Can't you do this much for her?" she coerced softly.

She waited patiently as she saw him considering it.

"How do I know you are not lying Rose?" he asked after what seemed like centuries.

Hearing him speak her name, that in itself would have been enough to open the flood gates, but she controlled herself the same way she had done for the past few years.

"Trust me Scor, I'll bring her here, I promise." She said in the same tone.

"I want to see her Rose, I- I just… I need to look at her. I can't do this anymore." He said his voice almost hysterical.

He was desperate, any fool could see that. Why hadn't the others realized this?

"Please Rose, bring her to Me." he begged now.

"I'll see what I can do Scor, but you need to promise me you'll talk." She said hating herself for blackmailing him this way.

She was holding him to ransom, playing on his emotions, and at the moment she despised herself. How could anyone sink so low? Desperate times, she consoled herself as she looked back at him expectantly.

"Anything, I'll do anything!" he cried, his voice still horribly hoarse from lack of use.

She nodded to him, and turned back. This was progress alright, but now it meant she had to confront June, and the prospect didn't excite her, not one bit.

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><p>"So he didn't say anything else?" Elizabeth Greene asked, chewing her lower lip deep in thought. Rose had just narrated the entire incident to her, and now Rose was waiting for further orders.<p>

"No he didn't." she replied, her mind still reeling.

"Well… Umm- Er- well done Miss Weasely. I'll take it forward from here." She said, and walked out of the room as swiftly as she had come in.

Rose knew better however.

From what she had seen of June Rodgers in Hogwarts, she had been a stubborn little thing. Not once did she comply with what others told her, always doing what she wanted to and no one could say otherwise.

Making her face him when she clearly didn't want to was not going to happen.

They needed another way.

She was lost deep in thought when Draco Malfoy appeared before her again.

"What happened Rose? Are you ok?" he asked, genuinely concerned. "I'm ok now Mr. Malfoy." She said giving him a fleeting smile before retelling the story. "So? Did Miss Rodgers agree?" he asked frowning.

He was a much better judge of character, at least better than his son, Rose thought making her feel better.

It was pretty obvious his father didn't approve of Scorpius' choice of fiancé.

She also noticed how he didn't call June by name, as he did with her.

That meant he hadn't spent as much time with his would-be daughter-in-law to know her well, as well as he knew her.

And the fact was rather disturbing.

Would Scorpius defy everyone, including his father whom he admired immensely to be with this girl?

Something was off, Rose wasn't sure what it was, but there was.

Maybe she was biased, but there was something majorly off regarding his relationship with June Rodgers.

Focus on the case; she chided herself for the umpteenth time. It really didn't do to lose herself in the past.

"Thank you Rose." Draco said softly. "For what Mr. Malfoy? I'm glad for the opportunity to help." She said brushing it aside.

"I know it must be tough for you to re-enter his life after all these years Rose, and I appreciate it. Anyone else in your place would have walked away while they had the chance." He said slowly.

Oh, so he knew.

"I-"she began, but he cut her off.

"What's the status on Miss Rodgers?" he asked again.

"From what I've seen of her, she's not likely to change her mind now." Rose said.

"So what do _you_ propose to do Rose?" he asked, a mischievous glint returning to his gray eyes, even if just for a second. He knew Rose wouldn't sit around and wait; she was a girl of action, pretty much in contrast to her mother in that respect.

"I- How did you know Mr. Malfoy?" she asked flustered.

"I know Scorpius has had his effect on you Rose, even if he was Ravenclaw he did have Slytherin traits if you know what I mean." Draco said smirking. She grinned back at him before letting out a sigh.

"I've not been able to come up with anything yet Mr. Malfoy." she said dejectedly.

"I may have something." He said, an old glint lighting his eyes.

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><p>There you have it, chapter 4!<p>

I would love some feed back, so do review!

Until next time :)


	6. Chapter 5

"Is June Rodgers in?" Rose asked, leaning against the polished oak-wood desk in front of her.

"Do you have an appointment ma'am", the man in front of her, June's assistant probably asked, giving her a once-over.

She smiled to herself mentally; this would be like taking candy from a baby.

"Well I'm afraid I don't… William" she said pausing as she read his name off his nametag. "But it is rather urgent, and I'm sure you can accommodate." She said sending him one of her charming smiles.

He faltered, and she knew she almost had him.

"Please, William, It won't take too long." She said, chewing on her bottom lip, locking her eyes with his.

"I- Ok… Who should I say is here?" he asked looking faint as he stood up.

"Rose Weasely." she said in the same tone, trying to check herself from breaking into laughter. The poor guy didn't know what had hit him.

She watched him walk into her cubicle and shut the door. She stood waiting in the lobby, tapping her heels rather nervously. She was praying that the plan would work, that June was stupid enough to fall for it.

"Well, well look what to cat dragged in" June sneered as she walked into the lobby, her waist long, blonde hair swishing as she walked.

William was trotting behind her like a lost puppy, scared to approach the two women who were now glaring daggers into each other.

"I don't have time for this." Rose hissed, her anger getting the better of her. The sight of June was enough to make all those bitter memories rise dangerously to the surface.

There she stood, 5 feet 2 inches of pure evil, and Rose longed to slap her hard. Even in times like this she managed to look pristinely beautiful, almost angelic, and it made Rose want to break something.

Their past few encounters hadn't ended well.

Oh no.

"Then why are you here Weaselette?" she asked in the same condescending tone.

"I didn't think you're still so immature to be resorting to name calling Rodgers." Rose said trying not to lose her cool.

"Not Rodgers Weasely, it's Malfoy." she corrected, almost bursting with glee. The expression turned to gloating when she saw the horror clearly etched on Rose's face.

"You didn't know did you? We're married!" she cried, so happy as though she didn't quite understand the fact that her husband was rotting away in jail now.

"Actually that's what I came to talk to you about June. You need to see him." Rose choked out trying to be as professional as possible. Seeing June had opened all sorts of old wounds, and knowing they were married now only added insult to injury.

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" she asked haughtily.

"He's your husband." Rose said, not able to believe her ears.

"Yes Weasely I'm well aware." June said pointing to the huge rock on her ring finger.

"But what is it to you?" she sneered, "Other than the obvious reason that I won and you didn't…" she added just to get a rise out of Rose. "I'm working on the case June. He has been convicted for murder or do you not know that?" Rose bit back. "Don't get sarcastic Weasely, it won't get you anywhere." June warned.

"Look just please talk to him. He won't listen to anyone else. You are our last chance." Rose said regaining some of her composure.

"He won't talk to you? _You_ Weasely?" June cackled, making Rose wish she had never approached her in the first place.

"It just proves it all the more doesn't it Rose, _he's mine_." She continued hissing the last two words so the message was loud and clear.

"He's not an object June." Rose said checking her emotions.

"No, he isn't Rose. He is a human being, very capable of making choices. And he chose me. He chose me over you." She said her voice deadly. Rose shut her eyes for a minute trying to let it go. She seemed to struggle with herself for a moment before finally lashing out at June. Before June realised, Rose had given her a nice tight slap across her left cheek.

As quickly as she had lost control she gained it and the magnitude of what she had done hit her.

She gave June, who was clutching her reddening cheek with a look of total shock on her face, one last withering glance before turning on her heel and marching out.

"How DARE you hit me?" she literally growled from behind her when she was almost out of the door.

And then she had launched herself onto Rose, hitting and scratching whatever she could reach.

"What's wrong with you?" Rose cried, trying to escape from her grasp. But all June did was shriek and continue hitting her. William, who had disappeared for a while seemed to resurface and somehow cast a shield between the two fighting witches. They both stood still, chests heaving as they regained their breaths.

Rose straightened her clothes and tried to smoothen her hair which was now hanging in tufts out of her carefully pinned bun. June on the other hand already looked as polished and elegant as before, as though she hadn't been pulling at another woman's hair while clinging on her back a moment ago. "I suggest you leave before I call security." She said coolly to Rose before turning on her heel and sashaying away, leaving her staring in shock.

* * *

><p>As Rose walked back to her office she realised it was lunch already, and changed her course for the cafeteria.<p>

She caught sight of the familiar platinum hair and walked over to where Draco Malfoy stood, all the while hoping it was his son instead.

"Rose!" he said surprised to see her. "You look like you were hit by a hurricane. What happened?" he asked concerned.

There was no sight of what she had come to learn was the trademark Malfoy smirk, and yet again she wanted Scorpius here. He would have teased the hell out of her, and would have made an inappropriate innuendo once he heard the entire story. The thought made her smile, which she bit back immediately.\

_Not in Hogwarts anymore. It's been five whole years Weasely, move on._

But though she knew better she couldn't help it.

The wall she had so carefully built to protect her from Scorpius, from herself really, had come crashing down within moments of even hearing about his getting dragged off to prison.

"Are you ok, Rose?"He asked again shaking her out of her reverie. It was like he could read her just as well as his son.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The meeting went just as planned." Rose said giving him a small smile. She held out a vial of sorts, he took it from her and tucked away safely for future use, then he turned back to her a smile matching her own on his face.

"Sit Rose, have lunch." He commanded. She would have refused, a made up excuse at the tip of her tongue when another extremely familiar voice interrupted her.

"Rose, come join us for lunch." Hermione Weasely called out, not noticing the man she was talking to. Rose turned to see her mother seated with her uncle at the Ministry cafeteria, motioning for her to join them. She nodded, smiled swiftly and turned back to Draco Malfoy. "Mr. Malfoy, I'll…" she trailed off not knowing how to finish the awkward sentence.

He was going to say something before Harry potter himself spoke up, "Malfoy, you should come too."

Oh well, this was going to be interesting.

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><p>Thank you so much for your alerts and favourites and reviews :) I really do appreciate them, and I'm sorry I can't reply because there's some problem with my PM.<p>

Do let me know what you think about this chapter! I don't know if I'm being painfully obvious, I've read it too many times to be sure :P

Until next time :)


	7. Chapter 6

"Potter, Gran- Weasely." Draco said smoothly before joining them.

Rose was still a bit shaken up, by what had happened with June and what was now happening in front of her.

This day never ceased to amaze her.

The progress they had made on the case itself was enormous compared to what had been accomplished earlier. And now Draco Malfoy was willing having lunch with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.

She grinned at her uncle as she sat next to her mom, who gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"What happened to you Rosie?" her uncle asked, concerned as always. "I had a little run in with June Rodgers." She said bitterly before deciding to get something to eat.

Her moods were swinging dangerously, moving from deliriously happy to extreme bitterness in a matter of seconds, and it wasn't healthy.

As she returned to the table she heard Scorpius' name being tossed about and it made her want to run, run away from the case, the ministry, heck away from the country!

She hadn't told a soul about him, what had actually happened between them. To the world it seemed that they had just gradually grown apart.

Albus Potter was the only one who knew better, but even he didn't know all the gory details.

Rose literally had run away.

For an entire year after the nasty incident she had travelled the world looking for some sort of sanity. She had had an excellent experience, travelling far and wide to exotic lands gaining all sorts of skills. She had met so many people, made so many new friends, yet she felt all alone.

It was then that she had decided to let it go.

Scorpius wasn't a part of her life, and she would keep it that way.

After all that journeying she had returned home, back to the protected walls of her parents' home.

All her old friends were there.

She could see the change in them. She felt the change in herself too.

And then she saw him.

He too had moved out of the neighbourhood. He stayed in Wales now, or so she heard. But unfortunately for her, they ran in the same circles.

They often bumped into each other, at friends' parties, weddings, a baby shower or two.

And the pain returned.

It returned with such an intensity she couldn't bear it much longer.

Of course he attended every single event with June on his arm. Of course he was cordial and civil with her as though the night of their graduation had never happened. That was when she had started dating random men, anything as a distraction. As if seeing her with someone else would get him jealous. As though that would make him ditch everything and he would run back into her arms, begging for her to take him back, apologizing profusely. But that was exactly what she hoped, she dreamed, but it never happened.

Then had begun the downward spiral of her life.

She moved into her own apartment in Diagon Alley, still having no clue what to do with herself. All her peers were working now, or studying to get a higher degree. And here she was unemployed and aimless. So she resorted to what a reckless youngster would. The parties and drinking became a regular feature. Every morning she awoke with an intense hangover and in the arms of a different man every time.

She was out of control.

She had pushed away her entire family, and no one could knock any sense into her.

She hardly had any friends from school. Her whole life had revolved around Scorpius Malfoy, from the time he had arrogantly barged his way into her life on the Hogwarts Express all those years ago.

She had never imagined a life without him.

She had never seen the need to.

And now, without him as a pillar of strength, a guiding force, she came apart piece by piece.

Al and Lily were the main reason behind her being where she was today. They had found her one day, lying completely broken in a dark alley in Hogsmeade. She had been unconscious when they took her home. She woke up in a hospital three days later to learn she had been poisoned, and had returned from the brink of death.

It was exactly the wakeup call she needed to get her life back on track. She gathered herself, at least what was left of her, and made a 180 degree turn. She joined a law course and drowned her heart and soul into becoming a lawyer. What else did she have to fight for after all? Lily had sat her down and had given her a proper ear full.

She might look small and be a gossip queen, but Lily Luna Potter had a firm head and her heart was in the right place. Rose hadn't explained her irrational behaviour, and no one asked her to either.

They were just glad she was back.

It was sometime then that the wall had been cemented into place. And no one neared close enough to even try to bring it down. She didn't let them.

But six months ago it had all changed once more.

She knew he wasn't a murderer. However he had treated her, he couldn't be cold hearted enough to kill anyone.

"What do you think Rosie?" he uncle's voice brought her back.

"Huh?" she asked intelligently. "Do you think he'll talk to June?" he repeated for her benefit.

"Yeah, I think he might. He truly loves her and if there's a chance it's her."Rose responded.

"Can you go through with this though Rose?" her mum asked knowingly.

There's this thing about mothers, they know when their kids are hurting, whether we choose to confide in them or not. Rose nodded not trusting her voice. She hadn't cried in years, and she wasn't going to now, however much this case tried her.

"I'll look into the case again Malfoy, see what I can do then." Harry stood. He was the head of the auror department after all and of course the saviour of the Wizarding world. He hated being called that, but it sure came with some advantages. Draco just nodded to him, a silent understanding passed between them. After he left it was just the three of them.

"How's Astoria holding up?" Hermione asked softly. "Not very well. She couldn't handle seeing him in such a condition." He confessed as he continued eating. Hermione nodded understandingly.

They ate in silence for a while before Draco stood too.

"Your daughter is very brave Granger, just like you." Were his parting words, leaving mother and daughter alone.

* * *

><p>"Rose?" Hermione said softly, surveying her. "I'll be fine mum." She said softly, her shoulders hunching as she finally accepted defeat.<p>

"I know you loved him Rose, as much more than a best friend. I saw your expression whenever he spoke about his girlfriend of the time when he spent summers at The Burrow. It was one that Ginny said crossed my face when your dad and I were in Hogwarts. And I also know whatever happened between you, once you were out of Hogwarts left you broken. What's worse he still has a piece of you with him. I know you are doing what you think is best. But please just think it over? What happens if you lose the case? What happens if you win and he goes back to his fiancée? I'm not asking you to step aside; no I want you to fight, to help him get out free. All I want you to do is take a small step back and see exactly where you stand. Put a little distance and it might give you some objectivity." She said giving Rose a lot to think about as she placed a small kiss on her forehead and went back to work.

* * *

><p>Severe writer's block! So I came up with a new Dramione :P But not to worry, this will be my first priority! It's called 'The Past Revisited, Mistakes Revised' if you want to check it out... The fic is ScoRose based and Epilogue compliant but fills in the 19 years in between :)<p>

So after that shameless bit of promo :P back to the AN

I thought I would delve into the past, to give some insight into Rose, and their relationship of course!

Leave a review if you can? Tell me what you think, I would love to hear!

Thank you all so much for the alerts, favs and reviews :) means a huge deal to me, really :)

Until next time then!


	8. Chapter 7

When Rose finally apparated back to her apartment that night she was wiped out. It had been a taxing day, and her emotions were running wild as usual.

As she sat in the darkness of her flat the silence suddenly became oppressing, and she needed to get out. She had to take out some of her frustration. She had to tell someone all that had transpired that day, especially the part with June.

Her mother had been right of course.

She was too close to the case.

It was too personal, and that was getting in the way of her clear judgement.

Right now all she wanted to do was pin the blame on June Rodgers and make her rot in Azkaban for the rest of her life. The thought made her realize she needed to vent, and vent she did. She apparated to Lily's place. She was always welcome there she had been told.

"Rosie! What brings you here?" Lily asked surprised, when she materialised out of thin air. "I need to talk before I burst." She said shortly. Not caring for the lateness of the hour Lily sat Rose down as she got them cups of hot chocolate.

"They're married Lily." She stated. The detachment she heard in her voice scared her.

"You don't have anything to say?" she asked her confidante, an eyebrow raised.

"I-I knew Rose."Lily said softly.

"How?" she asked her mouth going dry. Had there been a wedding?

"It appeared on the tapestry back at home." She said hastily.

Oh right Grimmauld Place.

"Rose do you still love him?" Lily asked, as blunt as ever.

Rose considered the question though the answer was painfully obvious. Her silence gave Lily the answer she needed. "What do I do Lils?" Rose groaned burying her face into one of Lily's cushions.

"Come here." Lily said, wrapping her small, strong arms around Rose.

"For now Rosie, you need to save his sorry ass. I'll help you beat him to pulp after you get him out of Azkaban, you hear me?" she asked, giving her a tight hug. Rose smiled at her cousin, appreciating the sentiment.

She let herself be taken care of by someone else for a change, just that night.

Rose woke up feeling much refreshed and suspected Lily had slipped her a dreamless sleep potion. She was glad for it though.

It was seven in the morning and she had time before work. So she paid Al a visit, hoping he would have something to follow up on. He was an auror like his father, a brilliant one at that.

"Nothing Rosie I'm sorry." He said, pouring out a glass of juice for her.

"How bad was June?" he asked softly, not wanting to upset her, but he needed to know.

"Raging mad as usual." She sighed before telling him about the episode. Better than the last time you met her though…" he said, immediately wishing he hadn't brought it up.

The memory was still vivid, far too vivid for Rose though it was almost 2 years ago.

_It was a Ministry gathering. Rose had pulled herself straight by then and was making an effort to be normal, at least for the sake of her family._

_ The event was some charity, or fundraiser or something. Rose wasn't even sure. The crowd was elite though, and her mother had requested her to be there. And so she had put on a dress, made herself look decent and had gone._

_ However there was no sign of her mother, or of any member of her family and she was extremely bored. Not many people approached her, just gracing her with a smile or a quick' hello' and she knew it was because of all the rumours her disappearance and flings had caused. How did her life matter to these people? It made her sick, and she soon wanted to leave. But she stayed on, the fake smile glued to her face as she stood in a corner. _

_Soon the hall began filling and she saw more familiar faces. Al came up to her and she was thankful for the company. She stayed clear of the drinks too; oh no she didn't want to go down that road again. _

_Astoria Malfoy waved at her, her blonde hair being painfully familiar, and Rose turned away rather quickly not wanting to talk to her. _

_In the process however she rammed into someone standing right behind her. _

_The sickening squelch she heard made it obvious that she had successfully drenched the man with his own drink. _

_"I'm so sorry!" she apologised immediately, stepping away from the man who had brought a firm hand down to her waist to steady her. The achingly familiar woodsy scent should have tipped her off, but unfortunately it hadn't and now she was staring into the strikingly handsome face of Scorpius Malfoy himself. _

_She remained rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do. She had just ruined his suit, but then again he had ruined her life. _

_But looking into his eyes glued her down and she just stared while he met her eye for eye. _

_The moment was broken of course by bitch extraordinaire June Rodgers, as she came and linked her arm possessively around her fiancé's._

_ "What part of stay the hell away from him don't you understand, you whore?"June hissed angrily. Her voice was low, but not low enough. She was creating a scene, and was doing it on purpose._

_ How was this her fault? Didn't Scorpius have a role to play too? It wasn't like they were even talking for Merlin's sake. Just standing around awkwardly. Rose looked to Scorpius, who refused to meet her eyes. So he was going to let June talk to her that way? Without putting in a word edgewise? It made her sick to the stomach to know that. _

_"You know what, I'm not sorry." Was all Rose said, maintaining her cool and trying to walk away. _

_But that wasn't meant to be. _

_June pulled out her wand, ready to hex Rose while her back was turned. But Rose wasn't stupid. She pulled out hers much quicker, and turned to face her, wand raised._

_ Scorpius merely looked on, not trying to restrain his girlfriend nor his former best friend. _

_June wasn't that bright, she never had been. It was clear Rose would win a duel if it came down to it. The hexes she threw were sub-standard, which Rose deflected easily. _

_"Stop while you still can June, just let me walk away and you won't do something you'll regret."Rose said much calmer than what she felt. _

_A storm was raging within her, but all the anger directed towards the man because of whom this was happening. How could he just stand there? By now the hall seemed to realise something was wrong and whispers started across the room while they sneaked glances at the scene before them. But June didn't heed her advice and the spells kept coming. "Cruc-"June started to say and as Rose got over the initial shock that she was using an unforgivable she retaliated with a stunning spell of her own. _

_The intensity of the Stun was enormous, fuelled by her anger and it sent June hurtling back, and made her fall unconscious against the table 20 feet behind her. That drew all the attention to her at once._

_ No one had noticed that June had been the one to start it, that Rose had been walking away. People refused to see that June had almost tortured her using Crucio. No, all they saw was Rose send a jet of red light into June hence knocking her out. _

_Rose stood still, her head held high. _

_She didn't have anything to be ashamed of, it was self defence. _

_But no one saw it her way, and when she began getting dirty glances and harsh glares, she realised that. But it didn't matter to her. All that mattered was the opinion of one man. And he was currently attending to his girl friend, hunched over her body, trying to bring her back to consciousness. He hadn't spared her a glance, not one. He had seen the entire thing play out right in front of him, but he had still run to _her_ aid. The rational part of her brain had known that's what he would have done, but every pore of her body and soul begged to disagree._

_ Al had been the first to approach her, in the idea of leading her away. Even he didn't know. He had thought she was off her rocker too, though he had never aired it, she knew. No one believed her, nor would they believe her. After all the only eye-witness had stood up and yelled after her rather loudly after June had been revived. _

_"How dare you attack my fiancé?" he had semi-screamed across the hall, before closing the distance between them and dragging her out of the door. His cologne enveloped her, snapping her brain shut. He took deep relaxing breaths once out in the open, not relinquishing his hold on her. _

_"She hexed me first, you saw that." Rose managed to whisper to the enraged man before her. _

_She hadn't seen him like this before, never this angry. It scared her to know that she was the reason behind it. _

_"I've told you before Rose, and I'm telling you again, leave us alone." he choked out, and it took all of Rose's will power not to break down in front of him. She nodded once, and made herself move, not once turning back to look at him. _

_Al took her home and that was the end of that. _

_It was the night she had made up her mind never to see him again._

* * *

><p>"Sorry." Al muttered again, scanning her face for a reaction. He didn't find any. "It's ok Al." she said, turning away from his blazing green eyes which seemed to read her so well.<p>

She found herself staring at his photo collection. They took up an entire wall, and Rose had never paid it much attention before. But now she caught sight of a few pictures of herself, and a flash of brilliant blonde hair and she inched closer to get a better look.

* * *

><p>I hope I made up for the late update with the longer chapter! Thank you all for the reviews, alerts and favs! do keep them coming :)<p>

If the previous chapter seemed too depressing I'm truly sorry, I was kind of down and it must have reflected in my writing! Don't hate Scorpius too much... I might give you a lot of reason to, but he's really not all that bad :D

until next time :)


	9. Chapter 8

She found herself staring at his photo collection. They took up an entire wall, and Rose had never paid it much attention before. But now she caught sight of a few pictures of herself, and a flash of brilliant blonde hair and she inched closer to get a better look.

There was a wide variety of photos, and Al certainly seemed to have put a huge thought into it before designing the wall. Maybe Lily did it she thought to herself as she stared in wonder.

It was a collection of all their memories, right from their days as toddlers to when they were full time graduates.

True to wizard photographs they smiled and waved, bursting into fits of giggles or irritation at times, but capturing the essence of the moment just right.

Rose and Al had been tight before going to Hogwarts, inseparable really. They still were close, but the bond they had shared, uninterrupted and carefree back in the days was absent.

And Rose realised now how terribly she missed it.

From the moment they had stepped onto the Hogwarts Express, into the cabin occupied by Scorpius Malfoy that connection had weakened. Neither had meant for it to happen of course, but it was inevitable.

They had gone their separate ways right from the beginning, Al getting into Slytherin and Rose to Ravenclaw right behind Scorpius.

Their paths were set it seemed, Al going on to become the most popular in their year, for his quick wit and charms, and Rose heading straight into Scorpius' arms.

Scorpius had been her only friend outside family, and that's all she needed. But on the other hand, Al seemed to have befriended the entire castle within a year.

Rose had taken after her mother, bookish, preferring the library to the quidditch pitch and Al, like both his parents was a natural on the broom.

As the years progressed, Rose let herself get stereotyped.

No one understood how Scorpius was her best friend, she had questioned it herself so many times, but they just were.

Scorpius had been more like Al.

They too had hit it off right from the train. Telling an eleven year old not to do something ensures they do just that, which was what happened in their case. All warned by their parents to keep a little distance had sent them hurtling down the path of best-friendship, and in well Rose's case, love.

As Rose looked up at the wall it all came flooding back.

They say Memory lane is a dangerous path to go down. If you linger you may get lost, and finding your way back to reality becomes too painful. Rose did just that, shutting out the rest of the world just for a few moments to revisit those days when she had been so happy.

Right in the middle was a picture of Harry and Ginny Potter, surrounded by their sons, a new born Lily in hand. Ginny was cooing at the baby while Al and James pulled monkey faces. Harry however was the picture of contentment as he looked on happily, sometimes stroking Ginny's hair.

Right above it was a family picture of the Weasleys. Molly and Arthur sat in the middle while their six children, their respective spouses and children all waved around them. Rose remembered the chaos that day, she and Al had been 14, the summer before their 4th year.

And then came the pictures of Al, James, Lily, Hugo and Rose mostly as they grew up. First broom rides, birthday parties, Hogwarts letters, prefect badges, head girl (in case of Rose and Lily), Quidditch Captain (in case of James, Fred, Hugo and Al), Christmas', New Years, they were all there. But the photos which caught her attention the most were those of her, Al and Scor over the years.

Al had a camera with him while in Hogwarts and seemed to have caught a lot of memories in it unknown to her.

There was one during their first Halloween at Hogwarts. Al and Scorpius were beaming while Rose appeared shy.

All the first year pictures were similar, as were the second.

The third year saw obvious differences.

It was a picture of just Rose and Scorpius, after Ravenclaw had won a quidditch match.

Both were in their quidditch robes, completely wet and muddy thanks to the rain. They were laughing, standing much closer together, much more relaxed. Sometimes Scorpius would shake his head from side to side, water droplets flying off his hair onto Rose. She would look at him in irritation and squirt some water back, and both would relapse into laughter.

In their fifth year Professor Slughorn had thrown one of his extravagant parties. They had had to get dressed up for that and Rose had been extremely excited to wear a dress. Not that she had admitted it, but the picture of her said it all. Her face was flushed with excitement, her eyes twinkling as she struck a pose.

The picture next to it was one of Rose and Scorpius together, he was dashing in his dress robes and Rose as beautiful as ever as she blushed slightly next to him. His hand was around her was as though it was natural, and she seemed to revel in the attention he was showering on her.

Yet another from their sixth year was just as enchanting. Her hair, fiery red seemed to contrast beautifully with his pale complexion. They were in their uniforms out near Hagrid's hut by the lake. It was a warm day as Rose recollected, which explained why their ties were loosened slightly, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. They were standing in the shade of one of the trees, the greenery around them as well as the deep blue water in the back ground making the photo all the more picture perfect as it complemented the white of their clothes. Both of them were smiling brightly, his hands around her shoulders as he held her close. He would occasionally swoop down to place a small kiss on her left cheek which she would wipe off as if disgusted, laughing all the while.

Rose desperately wanted a time turner, to go back to those days which when things between them had been simple and easy.

No June, no trials, no complications.

She shook herself mentally once before continuing her survey. The ones from their seventh year were similar, only June featured in most of them.

She saw a picture of her and Scorpius yet again, both with their 'Heads' badges pinned to their chests, beaming smiles on their faces.

She felt herself smile despite everything.

Maybe this was what she had needed, a refreshing break.

As June started appearing in a higher frequency, Rose's smile seemed forced and strained to her own eyes.

Had she really been that obvious? Then how had no one else noticed? Or maybe they had and hadn't bothered confronting her? She pushed the thought aside to finish the set.

The last few in which she was there were those of their graduation.

It had been before their terrible fight, before the shouting match that had ended everything.

Being Heads they had both delivered speeches. Rose hadn't been much of a leader back then; the thought of public speaking had been absolutely terrifying. Scorpius had got her through the entire ceremony, encouraging her to go on every time she faltered.

Her stammers were considered as her expressing her emotions, of being so consumed by grief by the thought of leaving the castle that she couldn't even get words out.

She smiled remembering Al and Scor imitating her efforts.

There was one last picture of them together, both looking radiant in their formal attires. She moved to touch it involuntarily, running a hand over his face. Al, tactful as ever made a copy of it with his wand immediately and handed the original to her.

She took it wordlessly, tucking it away for later.

The most recent photos included the happy couple, and many more of James and his fiancée. She sighed and Al pulled her into a comforting hug. "It's going to be fine Rosie." He said, and at this point she dearly hoped that he was right.

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><p>Thank you all soooo much for the reviews! so many ideas as to what could have happened :D You will just have to read and see if you're right :P<p>

and of course for the alerts and favs! I certainly didn't expect such a positive response!

I will move forward with the case soon, just though i should set up the characters a bit. Sorry it's a bit short, I'll update soon!

Do leave your thoughts, I would love to hear them :)

Until next time then!


	10. Chapter 9

Those of you who have me on author alert know that I've started yet another fic! It's called 'Old Rivalries' and is another Scorpius/Rose, a huge contrast to this one though! Do check it out if you can! :)

This story remains my first priority, then comes school work n then my other two stories, so not to worry!

Ok, I'll stop now... ENJOY!

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><p>"Two more days and we have absolutely no new material to go on. I can't go and spew the same rubbish I have been for the last few months. It's ok to do it once, but getting repetitive will tip them off. They know we have nothing to move on, no leads, and no new evidence. If we can't find anything they're going to see right through our game and we'll lose. Do you understand me? I need you to work. Go over it fifty more times if you have to; find me some leverage that can buy us time. Do you hear me?" Peter Blake roared, making his entire team cower before him.<p>

"Yes sir." They all murmured eager to get away from his scary eyes and harsh mouth.

"Go then, what are you waiting for?" he demanded, and they scattered like flobberworms, running helter-skelter before they were yelled at again.

Rose was one of them, but as she reached the door he summoned her with an "Oi, Weasely right? Get in here."

Cursing her misfortune she walked back to him, hoping for the best. "Yes sir?" she asked demurely, reminiscent of the girl she had been in Hogwarts, naïve and submissive.

"Greene tells me you met Malfoy?" he asked.

"Yes sir I did." She said in the same tone not sure where the conversation was headed.

"And?" he asked impatiently.

"He wouldn't talk sir. He wants to meet his fian- wife, June Rodgers. Said he would do anything to meet her." She said. "And what did Miss Rodgers say?" he asked raising an eyebrow, almost as if he knew what had transpired the day before.

"She refused, said that she couldn't tolerate seeing him in such a condition." Rose said, using the lines Draco had said instead.

"Well, Miss Weasely, I'm impressed with your contribution so far. Though not much can be said of your skill, you certainly are useful considering that you were the boy's classmate. You have progressed the most and I need you to try again." He said, and she barely managed to contain her flinch at his statement. Instead of correcting him about her ability, she kept her tongue in check. Getting fired wouldn't be of any use at this stage. So she asked, "What must I do sir?" "Tell him that his wife would be brought in later, first he has to answer our questions." He said smoothly, years of practice at lying made you that way.

"With all due respect sir, he is a Ravenclaw. He'll see right through it. Besides he'll be expecting some sort of trickery. He is a Malfoy sir, don't forget." She said politely, not letting her anger or frustration get the better of her.

"Don't tell me how to do my job Miss Weasely." He said coldly.

"But-"she tried protesting in vain. The man could be as stubborn as June if he wanted, probably more, and he had decided the next course of action. So now she had no choice but to follow it.

"You will talk once more to Mrs Malfoy, and convince her to meet her husband, by evening today, understood?" he ordered.

She flinched openly at the use of the title to address June, but somehow managed a nod.

She was definitely screwed, no other way around it.

Blake walked away and she released a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding.

But she acted too early, as when he was at the door he turned and addressed her again "And this time Miss Weasely ensure you don't resort to physical violence, it's unbecoming." he said with a small smirk(?) as he shut the door behind him.

Rose felt her face heat up in embarrassment.

Of course he knew.

That meant most of the Ministry knew as well.

She sighed, knowing it would be a long day ahead, what with the extra unwanted attention and all. But she had a job to do, one she had signed up for willingly, knowing the consequences very well before hand.

She had dug her own grave, and it was time to lie in it, or somehow dig her way out before it was too late.

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><p>Rose didn't dare go back to June's office. She sought out Draco Malfoy instead and relayed the entire episode to him.<p>

"I'll try talking to her once again Rose, and I'll take Astoria with me. If not we'll have to resort to extreme measures." He said, and Rose had a pretty good idea what those were.

"One last thing Mr. Malfoy" she said, not for the case but her own peace of mind.

"Was there a wedding?" she asked, her face heating up.

Draco's brow furrowed for a bit before his expression turned rather grave.

"No Rose, a simple ceremony, and a legal signing that's all. It came as a shock to all of us." he added and she nodded, accepting the information. He seemed hesitant before he continued "We never really approved, my mother didn't pass on the family ring to her." He said, smiling sadly.

Rose stared at him, at a complete loss of words for a change.

He looked like he had more to say, but thinking better of it he turned around and walked away, hoping to get things moving.

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><p>She returned to her office and went back to her files.<p>

Elizabeth Greene wasn't in yet and she didn't have any further orders to carry out. So she immersed herself in the paperwork, looking for any small loop-hole that they could exploit.

Three hours later she ended up with a horrible back pain, a burning sensation in her eyes and a million unsolved questions.

"I'm headed for lunch, coming Rose?" Rick Watson one of her colleagues asked, leaning over the top of her cubicle.

She was glad for the break and grabbed the opportunity.

They walked together to the cafeteria, discussing the proceedings.

"But what is the motive behind the Death Warriors?" she asked out loud. The question had frustrated her to no end and she had pondered over it for quite a while now. "Well same as that of the Death Eaters wasn't it? Pure-Bloods in control, 'magic is might' and what not." Rick said. "But…" Rose trailed off, still not convinced.

Scorpius wasn't a power hungry fool like Voldemort had been. He was more than capable of loving, he had a wonderful family, friends, life overall. Why then would he kill and torture innocent people and deploy a whole group to do so? The notion was crazy even in her head, and to hear people taking it seriously was down-right ridiculous.

"Look, the question I'm asking is if the 'Death Warriors' even exist? I mean it was a rumour, which people believed to be true when the events started occurring." He said, giving Rose a lot to think about. She had never thought about it that way, and this new angle seemed to make sense. Maybe she had to talk to the auror department and who better than the head to consult with? She decided to pay her uncle a visit after lunch.

"I'll work on that," she told him as they chose a table.

"So Rose, is what they're saying true?" he asked leaning closer and whispering almost conspiratorially.

"Well that depends Rick, what _are _they saying?" she asked copying him, not able to contain her smile.

Rick truly was a charmer, with his deep blue eyes and shock of black hair; he was one of the most handsome men she had met. He was a huge flirt, and sometimes she encouraged him, teasing back. This was one of those times. Both of them knew it wasn't serious, as Rick was a serial dater a typical player and Rose had sworn off guys for a while, after the whole Malfoy debacle.

"Well, I heard that you ripped a woman's hair off, that you set her on fire, that you transfigured her into a vase and crushed her to a million small pieces…. I could go on," he said smiling broadly.

"Very close, I actually transfigured her into a newspaper and shredded her to bits." She stage whispered winking.

He burst out laughing ending their little charade. "No but seriously what happened? You came back from lunch looking like hell yesterday." He asked actually concerned.

"It was nothing really, I" she began, but was stopped by the clearing of a throat.

She swivelled around to see Draco standing behind her. "Well Miss Weasely if I'm not interrupting anything important, I have some information." He said and she jumped up from her seat.

"Not at all Mr. Malfoy," she said grabbing her purse.

"I'll see you later Rick, thanks for lunch!" she cried over her shoulder, literally running to keep up with the older Malfoy.

It was only once she was back in her office that he spoke. She looked at him expectantly, hoping he brought good news.

"It is time for June to meet my son." Was all her said and Rose nodded grimly.

It was going to be a challenge, but hopefully everything would go well.

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><p>Thanks for the reviews, alerts and favs guys :D they do motivate me to upload faster :)<p>

What do you think will happen now? :P I've written it out, I'll post it soon!

Until next time then :)


	11. Chapter 10

Scorpius sat in that same hunched position that Rose had left him.

The thought of meeting June was the only thing keeping him alive at this moment.

He had survived Azkaban too just for her.

There was a knock at his door, and the same man who brought his food entered. This time however he didn't have a plate. He brought keys which hopefully opened the chains cuffing him.

"You will have a visitor. We are moving you to a room upstairs. Don't try anything funny." The man said and he took in the information.

He was finally leaving the Godforsaken place, and he got to see his wife.

Rose Weasely surely was an angel in disguise.

The chains were unlocked not from his hands but the seat he was on. He was dragged by them to the door, where four other aurors joined him, protecting him from all sides. If he had wanted to escape he would have tried a long time ago, the bloody fools.

Besides he couldn't walk without support, his limbs had been inactive for that long.

He climbed the stairs and the light blinded him.

He was seeing sunlight after six whole months! He blinked in relief, taking it in before it was too late.

Once his eyes adjusted he looked around.

He had learned to become much more observant if not anything.

It was a small room they had shoved him into. It was completely bare except for a small table with two chairs on either side. The walls and everything else really were white, a shocking change from the dark musty dungeon he had been held in.

Luckily there was no dementor here, nor were there those vile guards.

He was all alone.

The door on one corner was shut, and Scorpius didn't even try opening it, knowing it would be locked. He heard noises outside, and he sat up straighter, waiting in bated breath to see her, his angel, his life.

The door opened slightly as an auror stepped in.

"Your wife's here." He grunted, and Scorpius gave him a weak smile.

"There will be a huge team of aurors surrounding the room, and you are being watched, so don't try anything stupid." He said, and Scorpius nodded impatiently.

He threw him one last distrusting look, and went out, only to let her come in.

Scorpius could have died then and have been the most contented man on earth.

She was much more radiant and beautiful than he remembered; of course memories did her no justice. Her golden hair glowed in all its glory, forming almost a halo around her face.

He took her in, like a dying man would gulp at water in a desert.

He needed her like the air he breathed, and now that she was in the same room as him everything seemed alright. He knew he was grinning like a loon, especially for a man who was almost convicted of murder.

After the initial euphoria passed he realised something was off.

She seemed… nervous?

She still stood by the door hesitating, and it was only then that the thought crossed his mind.

Was she scared of him?

After all he had been acting like a recluse the past couple of days.

He took a step towards her, smiling softly, but she shrank back, clutching at the wall and Scorpius felt all hope leave him.

She had been his one shred of sanity; if she didn't trust him either then he was completely lost. He sank, his knees giving out as the weight of her rejection crushed him.

He turned away from her, unable to look at her and show weakness, while it seemed his own mind was mocking him, making his body clutch at the table below him for support.

Oh the irony.

In his distress he hadn't noticed her move, so he flinched when he felt an arm on his shoulder, soft and tentative.

The tenderness of the gesture rattled him, as he had become used to the harsh ways of the guards.

The hand on his shoulder stilled him, bringing his heart rate back to normal.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity, he lifted his head and turned around to meet her eyes.

He expected to see fear, anguish and even pain and anger, but the love in her eyes floored him.

Her pale blue eyes were filled with unshed tears as she observed him, not looking away from his searing glance. In all their years together they had learned to understand each other extremely well, words weren't necessary. But now, for the first time, he was uncertain, conflicted. She too was confused it seemed, and he realized that her heart was saying one thing while her brain begged to differ.

He turned fully to face her, and her hand never left his shoulder.

"Hi." He croaked awkwardly.

"Hi…" she said, her voice shaking, but she still hadn't succumbed to the sobs that he knew were coming.

He let out a bark of laughter, still not able to believe it.

After six months of sheer hell, here he was exchanging pleasantries with his wife!

She was surprised at the very least at his outburst, but she smiled too, blinking her tears away.

He held out his hand experimentally, to see if she shied away.

To his surprise he found it shaking on its own accord, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He looked for signs of hesitancy as he raised it further, but he found none, and he reached out to touch her cheek. It was soft as silk, just like he recollected, and he shut his eyes for a moment, now having proof that the moment was indeed real.

She leaned into his touch encouraging him so he threw caution to the wind and hugged her body to his own. She responded with equal vigour, and he felt her entwine one of her hands in his hair as she stroked his back soothingly with the other. He inhaled, taking in her fragrance, her very essence and sighed in contentment, never wanting to let go.

The stood there for ages, basking in each other's presence, both not wanting to pull away from the familiar warmth.

It was June who pulled back first, running a hand over his face, tracing his features lightly.

"What have they done to you?" she breathed, not wanting to let him hear but slipping up. He just laughed drily and she knew a part of him was lost, probably forever.

"Sit." He told her pointing to the chair.

But she shook her head.

"I've been sitting for far too long June, please sit; you shouldn't be standing especially in your condition." He told her, always the gentleman.

Wait something wasn't right.

June had been 2 months pregnant when he had been dragged off by the official.

That would make her around eight months now.

And yet here she was her body as flat as ever.

The realization dawned and he turned to look at her with a look of absolute horror on his face. "The baby. What happened to the baby?" he asked his voice hollow again dreading her answer.

There was a moment's confusion on her face as her brows furrowed, but it was gone to be replaced by an expression he had never seen.

"I lost the baby Scorpius." She said her voice full of emotion.

"But everything was fine! How?" he asked, still unable to comprehend. He had credited the fact that June hadn't visited to the baby. His mind was now whirling with so many questions. He looked at his wife, at a complete loss of words.

"I'm sorry Scor, I miscarried." She explained further, tears coming back to haunt her eyes.

He wasn't sure whether to be angry, sad or comfort her.

The loss of the child hadn't affected her that much, he could tell. Otherwise she would have been sobbing uncontrollably by now.

Or maybe she had changed that much in his absence?

He brushed it aside, and went to kneel by her chair so that they were almost eyes level. He took her hands in his and revelled in their comfort.

"Are you ok? I mean health wise?" he asked and she nodded, biting her lip.

"How long do we have?" he asked her.

"Not long. They want to question you." She told him reluctantly.

"Listen Scor, you need to tell them everything. Every small detail, important or not." She said, urgency seeping into her voice.

"What's there to tell." He said again humourless.

"What actually happened." She phrased it like an answer but he could hear the question behind it clearly.

"I don't know." He told her honestly and she let out a sigh of frustration.

"What does that mean Scor? I mean they have your memories, how can you not know?" she asked him.

"They might be my memories, but I don't recall them June." He told her, needing her to believe him.

"I swear, I didn't kill that woman." He said again in desperation.

"I believe you Scorpius, of course I do. But you need to prove to the others, the rest of the world." She told him. They were the only 3 words he needed to hear. He collapsed against her, his head resting on her lap, face buried into her thigh. He came apart completely, helpless and vulnerable at the same time.

His sobs acted like a trigger for her own, and they both shook, trying to find some sort of comfort, peace in the other's embrace. She doubled over, covering his upper torso with her own, and held onto him.

He regained control as fast as he had lost it, and he sat up to cradle her, muttering soothing words as he rocked her slowly, tears flowing down his face.

She gave a shuddering breath as she found her own and she sank lower into the chair. The chains binding his hands were getting in the way, and he didn't want to hurt her. She giggled and he looked at her questioningly.

"Here I am, trying to give you moral support, and yet you end up consoling me." She said and he smiled at her. They were quiet for a while, taking each other in.

"I'm sorry." He muttered and she shook her head at the apology and whispered "Come back to me."

"I love you." He told her softly.

"I love you too." Her voice was strained, but he couldn't tell why.

Instead of wasting time with useless thinking, he moved forward and captured her lips with his own. She gasped in surprise at first, pulling away quickly. But as he began to voice his apology, she silenced him with her lips again.

He wanted to convey everything though that kiss, all his pent up emotions, and she seemed to be doing the same. She broke away, gasping for air as he trailed kisses all over her face.

He had missed this, missed her too much.

He couldn't go far though; they were being watched after all.

So he pulled away, breathing heavily.

She was smiling tentatively at him, biting her lip in concentration.

It was foreign to him, on her face. In fact it reminded him of Rose. She often had done that, every time she was deep in thought. He had been thinking of her more often than not lately he realised, feeling rather guilty. "Rose Weasely came to see me." He told her, watching her closely for a reaction.

She jumped at the name, as usual he thought to himself, but composed herself fast.

"Uh- yeah. She's one of your Lawyers. She met with me too." She said slowly. He took in the information and swallowed.

"So you are not angry? I only spoke to her because she promised she would send you. And she kept her word after all. I'm really sorry June-bug." He said again thoroughly searching her face again.

He had been quite scared to reveal the information to her, expecting her to get all fired up as usual at the mention of the name itself.

But other than a small jerk she had said nothing.

Her face seemed to flash with a number of emotions at his words, so fast that he couldn't catch all of them. Anger, fear, panic (?), disappointment, sorrow… Maybe she really had changed drastically.

"Are you ok June?" he voiced his concern.

"I uh… of course why wouldn't I be?" she asked her voice an octave higher than normal.

"Look Scorpius, forget about the past, she has. Just help her in any way so we can put this behind us." She said in the same voice.

They heard a knock on the door signalling that their time was up, and she kissed him again hurriedly.

Before he even had time to respond, she had pecked him once on the forehead and was out of the door.

Just as the door swung shut he saw a flash of red, but he disregarded it, his head a blur after the recent events.

He sat down on the chair, his mind whirling with thoughts trying to process the new information. He rested his head in his palms, closing his eyes for a few moments of peace before they came to badger him. He had got what he wanted, and now he had to speak.

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><p>I know, I know... It's been ages! I'm so sorry! Hope the longer update made up for it?<p>

I absolutely LOVE the reviews, and PMs and all your different thoughts on where this is going! Keep then coming people :D

Hope you liked it :) Tell me what you think!

Until next time :)


	12. Chapter 11

The polyjuice thing was THAT obvious huh? :P I had soooo many people guessing what was coming! My first time writing something like this, so I'll try harder to keep you guessing next time ;)

There's plenty more to come in this story, I promise! :)

ENJOY!

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><p>Outside the door, Rose collapsed in a heap.<p>

She felt her features contorting back to normal, and she only hoped she had gotten out before he had had a chance to realize.

Her hair, now back to its former curly self, hung limply around her face as she tried to grasp some hold of reality. Her breaths were coming fast, and she shuddered once to bring herself out of the reverie.

She could still feel his hands around her, his lips on hers.

His words still hung in the air and she tried to explain in vain to herself that it had been for June, not her.

Another violent tremor shook through her body and she wanted to hurl as she finally understood what his last few words meant.

June Rodgers was more of a conniving bitch that Rose had given her credit for.

And yet _he _failed to see it.

She tried pulling herself together, but those few minutes had left her emotionally rattled. She felt someone sit down beside her and wrap their hands around her.

She didn't know who it was and at the moment she couldn't care less.

She only wanted him.

She wasn't crying, no.

The freak show she had put on in front of him had been enough.

But she hadn't been able to control herself.

She had never seen Scorpius Malfoy so vulnerable, so undone… It made her come apart as well.

After all those years of keeping her emotions in check, it had almost spiralled out of control at his revelation.

He had stopped talking to her because June had asked him to.

The truth was glaring at her right in the face, and she wanted to hate him, she really did.

But she couldn't bring herself to do so.

She hated June, she even hated herself at the moment, but she couldn't hate him.

"It's going to be ok" was the mantra being chanted by the person holding her she realised.

She shifted in his arms to find herself face to face with Rick.

At her acknowledgement he smiled at her, continuing to rub soothing circles on her back with his fingers.

She relaxed into his arms finally, breaking out of her rigid stance.

He tightened his hold around her, and she could sense his relief.

She gave him a weak smile in return before heaving a sigh.

The amount of work they had ahead of them was monumental.

If he didn't remember doing it but his retrieved memories said so, there definitely was some foul play. And she intended to get to the bottom of things.

Her mother's words came back to her, as did the fact that she was a lawyer, not a detective.

But the case was too close to her heart for her to even think otherwise.

She had to solve it; she had to free him at all costs.

"Where is everyone?" she asked Rick, her voice scratchy.

"They are going over everything they just heard. The aurors have a lot of questions, but they want you to be present when they interrogate him." He said apprehensively.

That was a good move.

She was probably the only one who had gained his trust, at least she hoped so.

"Then why are we wasting time?" she said, pulling herself out of his tight embrace."Let's get going." She said, trying to bring back her professionalism. No one needed to know she had just had a mental break down, and she wanted Rick to keep it that way. "By the way Watson, this never happened." She said and he nodded, smirking back.

Before getting back to the office, she made a small detour to the ladies room and ensured everything was in order.

After a quick splash of water to her face, she rushed back, ready to resume from where she had left off.

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><p>She was informed on her arrival that Draco Malfoy had gone in to visit his son.<p>

"He's responding?" she wanted to know.

"Yes he is. Listen for yourself." Elizabeth Greene answered.

"You didn't think it was important to tell us that you were expecting a baby?" an irate father was badgering his son.

"We were going to tell you, but I was arrested before that." He bit back, annoyed himself.

"You know what; I'm in this mess because of _you_. It's not because of who I am, but what my _last name_ is. It's because I am a bloody _Malfoy_ that I was arrested in the first place." Scorpius yelled, suddenly snapping. "It's your entire fault, because of your actions!" he shouted at his stunned father.

"What's happening?" Greene asked while Rose looked on equally shocked. The room had been charmed so that the sound was transmitted directly to the auror offices. This was where the lawyers had shifted for the time being. She couldn't believe her ears.

"See you have no response. It's because you know it's true. They don't give a damn about whether I'm actually responsible or not. The fact that I wasn't even a Slytherin back in Hogwarts escapes their notice. All they care about is my connection with ex-Death Eaters like you. That's what made me such an easy target. I was framed, but no one will believe me. Because it is so much easier to believe the circumstantial evidence that says a death eater's son is the murderer. It's not my person they doubt, but the name. The name I got thanks to you." Scorpius spat, and Rose couldn't hear any more.

She rushed out of the room and ran down the stairs to where he was being held captive.

He had no right to attack his father that way. His words were somewhat true, and his anger was justified.

But after all that Draco had done to save him, he didn't deserve such a treatment. And Scorpius had to be stopped before he did any permanent damage.

Draco himself seemed incapable of speech, so Rose ran to intervene.

She missed the next few words uttered by Scorpius, and by the time she burst into the room Draco was as pale as the walls themselves.

"Don't you dare say another word." She thundered.

The fact that she was losing her delicate advantage, gained after so much hard work escaped her notice at the moment as fury blinded her.

Out of respect for the senior Malfoy she had to make the younger one take back his words.

Draco was clutching onto the table for support, his knuckles white.

They both looked up startled by the disturbance.

"Miss Weasely…" Draco trailed off, lost. She had never heard him sound so weak, and that only fuelled her anger.

She rounded on his son, eyes flashing dangerously.

"How could you say such things to him? He's you father for Merlin's sake! Do you know what all he's been through? What all he's been doing to ensure your name is cleared? While you've been acting like a stubborn kid, refusing your meals and not saying a word, he's been to hell and back. Hasn't he been through enough already, for you to remind him of his past misdeeds? Besides don't you know of the circumstances under which he even carried out his actions?" she yelled, making father and son flinch.

Scorpius even shrank back a step, before gathering his foot hold again.

"_You_ are going to lecture me about my family history Weasely?" he asked, his voice deadly.

"Yes, apparently I am because you seem to have forgotten. Don't go around pointing fingers Scorpius because that will get us nowhere. Your anger is founded, I understand. But learn to keep it under check or you will lose even the few supporters you have." She told him, and that made its mark.

"Instead of blaming your father, put your voice to use, tell us what happened, exactly what happened, and somehow we'll try to make it out of this mess." She told him, and he nodded numbly.

Rose fell silent, slightly out of breath from her run and tirade. Draco had a rather pained expression on his face, while his son was impassive.

"A word, Miss Weasely, before you start the inquiry." It was an order, not a question.

His voice was tight and strained and Rose complied not wanting to anger the man further.

They exited the room, Draco not giving Scorpius a second glance.

She gave him a scathing look and he flinched, looking away to her satisfaction.

Once outside she waited for him to speak.

* * *

><p>That's all I had time for, I'm sorry!<p>

I'll update ASAP :)

Tell me what you thought, please do leave a review

To all of you who have alerted, favourited and reviewed, a HUGE hug from my side :D Thanks a ton for the inspiration :)

Do keep them coming :P

Until next time! :)


	13. Chapter 12

"A word, Miss Weasely, before you start the inquiry." It was an order, not a question. His voice was tight and strained and Rose complied not wanting to anger the man further.

They exited the room, Draco not giving Scorpius a second glance. She gave him a scathing look and he flinched, looking away to her satisfaction.

Once outside she waited for him to speak.

"You shouldn't have don't that Rose." He said his brows furrowing as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

His eyes were closed as he tried to calm himself, thinking of their next move.

"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy, but I couldn't listen." She said hotly, her anger not having fully subsided.

"You have done well so far Miss Weasely; don't throw it all away because your emotions get in the way. You can't let them take over your mind. After all that I heard I would be upset too if I was in your position, but that doesn't mean it should dictate your future actions. You are quite lucky that Scorpius hasn't shut you out already. You don't know my son as well as I though you did, otherwise you would know not to push him this hard. Or you are choosing to ignore that knowledge. Whatever be the case, I advise you to calm yourself down, or this will crash and burn before you realize." He said.

At that moment she felt like a five year old being reprimanded for eating too much candy.

She now comprehended how she had almost destroyed all their hard work.

She wasn't impulsive, quite like her mother she worked through all the possible consequences before she carried out any action.

But being near him clouded her judgment as usual.

She took a deep breath to calm herself and forced herself to meet the man's eyes. They weren't harsh or cold like she had expected, but warm and full of gratitude.

They spoke the words he couldn't and she gave him a smile to say she understood.

"Don't let him get to you." He said before nodding at her and walking off.

She went back to the aurors office, dazed.

They had put together a team in her absence.

When she arrived Greene flashed a quick smile at her before briefing her about the questions that needed to be asked.

"Shall we go Miss Weasely?" one of the aurors asked and she got up, ready to get some answers.

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><p>"Look I'm telling you for the hundredth time, I don't remember anything." He said loudly, frustrated by the questions. It had been well over an hour since the interrogation had started and he had cooperated completely for most of it. Rose had begun with the introduction, but the aurors had taken over soon after.<p>

She had stayed in the chamber, sitting quietly in a corner, hearing but not quite comprehending all that was being tossed around. She was trying to keep her emotions at bay, trying not to relive what had taken place in that very room just more than an hour ago.

But now it seemed like the questions were getting them nowhere so she tried stepping in.

It had been a constant loop, a vicious circle when they ended up asking the same questions over and over again.

His answers were always the same, and it was beginning to get on everyone's nerves.

When tempers were already spread thin it wasn't a great idea to let this continue. "Just think Scor, no pressure. What comes to your mind when you think of that day?" she interrupted softly.

He turned to her as she spoke and studied her for a while before answering.

"I just remember getting up as usual; I washed up, got ready for work. We had breakfast, June and I. Then she left for work, and then it's all a blank. The next thing I vaguely recollect is a lot of lights blinking and flashing all around me. Different colours, red, blue, green, every hue. Then I was dragged off to Azkaban." He said.

Everyone around them began taking notes furiously at his words.

"Ok. Is there anything else you can add Scorpius? Did you have any enemies? Anyone who would want to put you in this position?" she asked.

"No Rose, no one except you maybe." He said slowly, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly after he spoke. She didn't think it funny, not in the least.

"That's enough for today folks, let's clear out, and give him some room." Rose ordered and at once they obeyed.

She waited for everyone to leave before following.

"You've got the entire Auror department dancing to you tunes then Rose?" he said when she was almost out of the door. She stopped dead in her tracks, turning to face him.

She couldn't read him, and that was bothering her.

"Impressed Malfoy?" she asked raising her eye brow at him, and he smirked back.

"You didn't have to go through all this to impress me Rose, you should know that." He said now smiling.

She was extremely glad that he was feeling well enough to make jokes. If it had been any other topic she would probably have played along just to keep his spirits up.

But at the moment the magnitude of his words was weighing her down.

He probably hadn't realised what he had said. But to her the wound was still fresh, and this was like adding insult to injury.

The pain must have shown through her expression, as he immediately corrected himself.

"Wait Rose, I didn't mean anything by that. Just come in, two minutes." He pleaded. She relented, knowing that her day couldn't possibly get worse.

She didn't move any closer to him though, standing against the door she had just closed.

She looked at him, waiting for him to speak.

"Thank you." He said and she nodded, letting him know it wasn't an issue.

"After all that you've done, I'm sorry, what I said in the end, it was out of line." He apologized, and she nodded once again not trusting her voice.

Something about being near him rendered her incapable of speech, given all that had happened, especially in the last 24 hours.

He was not happy with the distance between them it seemed and he edged closer, taking small steps, waiting to see if she would run. When it was apparent that she had no intentions of leaving (only because her legs felt like they were glued to the floor) he moved so that he was right in front of her.

"I'm sorry." He said again.

This time the two words seemed to be apologizing for so much more than the present situation.

Her eyes closed at his words as she willed the tears not to fall, and he took one of her hands in his. She jumped at the contact, but didn't pull away.

"You have to understand Rosie, I _love_ her." He said softly.

But I love _you_. She wanted to scream. Doesn't that matter? But she held it all in, like she had before.

Once again she nodded, her eyes still shut.

He sighed and she could feel his breath on her face.

That shook her back to reality, reminding her of that afternoon.

She pulled her hand away from his as if his touch had burnt her, and her eyes flashed open, meeting his silver orbs.

"Did you hear everything?" he asked, referring to the afternoon as well, his eyes piercing her.

"Yeah." She said voice thick with emotion.

He looked distressed and she took the opportunity to put a little distance between them.

"So you understand?" he asked sounding hopeful. "No Scorpius, I don't. But now isn't the time or place to discuss this. I have managed to convince them to hold you here instead of that foul place. So please don't break my trust." She said.

It was with great difficulty that she managed to prevent herself from adding an 'again' at the end of her sentence.

When he didn't reply she continued.

"Also you need to eat. We have given you everything you wanted, so you better do as I say. We'll come back tomorrow, so rack your brains and give us something more to work on." She said in a business like voice.

She was out of the room before he had a chance to say a word.

Once outside she again leaned against the wall for support.

It felt cool against her skin and she revelled in the sensation, trying to regain her bearings.

This time however Draco Malfoy escorted her away from the corridor. "You need to eat." He told her bluntly, repeating her words. He guided her straight to the cafeteria, not letting her protest.

Though it was late in the evening and she didn't even remember when her last meal had been she wasn't hungry.

To appease the stubborn man in front of her however she managed to swallow a few morsels of food.

"I take it you heard everything?" she asked him, beginning the conversation.

"Yes." He said simply, waiting for her to elaborate.

"I don't know what changed his mind about me." She confessed, it had been nagging all the while and she hoped he could provide answers.

"I think it's probably because you believe him. He knows you mean no harm and that you want to help." The senior Malfoy mused.

"Then why try to act friendly? He's barely been civil to me all these years…" she said, not satisfied with his reasoning.

"I don't know Rose. He's had a lot of free time on hand. He's not had any company; his only companion has been his memories. If a person has so much time to reflect, they come to strange conclusions at times. This might be one of them." He tried again, and she nodded slowly, mulling it over.

"If you are done we must get going, we have a long night ahead of us." He said rising from his chair. She was confused by his words, but didn't let it show as she followed his movements.

She was grateful for the ally in Draco Malfoy.

He was a powerful man given his name and status, and his contacts would certainly be a bonus.

She knew he would bend all rules backwards to rescue his son and she was glad to be useful.

Rose was also smart enough not to raise questions in public, so they slipped out of the ministry unseen and she knew that her evening had only just begun.

They were on borrowed time, half of which was already gone.

If they had to stick to the deadline she was willing to break as many laws as required.

Scorpius' words stung, but as everyone had been telling her she had to stay objective, keep a level head, not let emotions break out of their cage.

If she managed that, he would be free in no time, she was sure of that.

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><p>Hope the length makes up for the lateness? So sorry!<p>

Thank you all sooooo much for the reviews, alerts and favs! Overwhelming response really :)

I know this has become extremely angsty and Rose-emotion centred... I'm working on rectifying that. Have most of the case mapped out, just need to find time to type it out.

Thanks again :)

Until Next Time! :)


	14. Chapter 13

Thanks a ton guys for all the favs alerts and reviews!

Everytime I open the site I see changes! I need to figure out how it all works now :)

ENJOY!

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><p>They were on borrowed time, half of which was already gone. If they had to stick to the deadline she was willing to break as many laws as required. Scorpius' words stung, but as everyone had been telling her she had to stay objective, keep a level head, not let emotions break out of their cage. If she managed that, he would be free in no time, she was sure of that.<p>

"Where are we going?" she asked once they had left the Ministry grounds and were out in London.

"It occurred to me that as Scorpius isn't guilty, someone else is. We've been so bent upon proving he's innocent we haven't given a thought to who is actually behind it all. What we know is that he was framed. We also know that the person picked him because of his heritage." He said, making Rose wince at his words.

"It's true Rose, you have to admit it. I didn't like hearing it either, but he does have a point." He said noticing her reaction.

"So yes, back to what I was saying. I thought about who might want him gone. The fact remains that my son is too innocent to hurt even a flobberworm. He doesn't have any enemies. But I do. And what better way to get to me that to hurt my son?" he said heavily.

The sentence surprised Rose, but she could definitely see the reasoning behind it. "You're saying that someone still holds a grudge after all these years?" she asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, someone has waited for an opportune moment to seek revenge." He said grimly.

"But, why now? Why wait?" Rose asked confused.

"If I lost a member of my family during the war and I wanted revenge, I wouldn't lay low for decades, I would act soon." She said.

"That's where I disagree Rose. There are several reasons to wait. For one, now the uproar has settled, no one is even thinking about it, all people want to do is move on not stay in the past. Also now Scorpius is old enough to be taking his own decisions, plus he is of age so he can be convicted legally." Draco said listing a few.

Rose still didn't seem very convinced though.

"My dear girl you have no idea what I'm talking about. You can't relate as well as your mother probably would. The thing is I'm not saying that the person behind it was a good guy. No. I'm almost a hundred percent sure it was a death eater, or at least a supporter of him." He said calmly.

Rose gasped at his words.

He meant that one of his own had targeted him.

A person he had known for the greater part of his life, whom he had worked with, wanted to cause him pain.

"Does that mean you know who it is?" she asked sharp as ever.

"Rose I think it's time we pay Blaise Zabini a little visit." He said as he took her arm and disapparated on the spot.

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><p>"Why do you think it's him?" she asked when the squeezing sensation had passed and she felt the hard ground below her.<p>

"I'm not sure really. But his family was neutral during the war, as was he. But he lost his mother to a couple of death eaters. Besides he never liked me in Hogwarts, and I never cared for him either. I think he blamed my father. It's just a hunch, but no harm in trying." He said.

Rose got the feeling that he was hiding something, that he knew a little more than he let on, but she turned a blind eye, hoping that this would fetch some answers.

It was then that she surveyed the area.

They stood in a field of sorts, which was deserted in all senses of the word. The only vegetation that could be seen for miles was that which was in the mansion that loomed in front of them.

It was the only building in sight too, and the light coming from within was the only source of illumination.

Rose whipped out her wand but Draco motioned her to put it away.

They walked in the semi-darkness, moving as quietly as possibly. She wasn't sure why but didn't question it.

The house which had seemed big from the distance was even huger up close. The enormous gates were intimidating enough to scare any lone passerby away. At dusk it was all the more ominous and Rose felt a shiver go down her spine, having nothing to do with the weather.

Draco noticed her reaction but didn't comment, instead reaching to touch the gate with his left hand.

They swung open immediately, and he looked at Rose for confirmation before striding in. The walk was again in silence and Rose's mind was whirling with doubts.

_What had made him jump to such a conclusion? What would he achieve in visiting these people? It wasn't like they were going to come out and surrender! Why bring her along? Why tell her his suspicions in the first place? _

She didn't have time to ponder much longer as they reached the main door.

Within seconds of reaching, the door opened, and they were ushered in by two house elves.

The house was similar to the Malfoy Manor she noticed as they were hurried towards their destination by the two tiny creatures. When they reached a heavy oak door they stopped short. Draco gave her a small nod, a brief smile before pushing it open.

It looked like a study to Rose, at first glance.

There was a fireplace at the far end of the room, directly opposite the door. A fire burnt merrily, indicating that a person was or had been using the room recently. There was a rocking chair in front of it, and a mole-skin carpet lined the floors. The walls were a deep shade of mauve, making it look darker than it actually was. An entire wall was dedicated to books, old and new, and Rose was itching to get her hands on them. There was a huge desk as well towards the centre, sleek and polished as was the rest of the house. The dancing flames from the fireplace sent eerie shadows jumping at even a small movement, casting a sinister look on the entire setting.

It was due to the lack of proper lighting that Rose missed the figure of Blaise Zabini standing in a corner, facing away from them, staring out of the window into the wilderness the house was surrounded by.

"I expected you to come much earlier Draco…" he said softly, still not turning to see them.

"What did you do Zabini?" Draco asked coolly, as if discussing quidditch teams.

"That depends on what you think I did Malfoy." He said in the same tone.

"Don't get cheeky with me. Give me straight answers and I won't do anything." Draco's voice was smooth but the threat hidden in his words was evident. "You won't do anything Malfoy? Just like the last time you didn't do _anything_?" Blaise hissed venomously, whipping around to face them.

"Oh you've brought a guest. A witness perhaps Draco, we all know you need one after last time." he sneered surveying Rose closely. She stared back defiantly, holding her pose under his scrutiny.

She had never met him personally before, just heard his name in the passing at work.

He was the owner of Zabini Inc, one of the biggest industries in the Wizarding world, right up there with the Malfoys and Notts. He was a bachelor still, voted the most successful entrepreneur and most desirable bachelor by the community in that part of the world.

She could see why as well.

No doubt the man had been extremely attractive in the prime of his youth. Even now he seemed debonair and charismatic in his stance. "This is Rose Weasely, Granger's daughter." He introduced at which his eyes narrowed.

"What are you playing at?" he asked harshly. "Absolutely nothing Blaise. She's Scorpius' lawyer." Draco said.

"You brought a lawyer Malfoy? Exactly what do you think I've done?" he asked incredulously.

"You are the reason my son's in prison don't play dumb with me." He was still calm. "Yes Draco and I'm also the reason for the global recession." He said rolling his eyes.

"Zabini, I'm giving you one last warning, we both know it was you, so just come clean and I'll get your sentence reduced."

"You are actually serious? Come on Draco, how do you think I could have pulled that off?" he asked, and to Rose he seemed genuinely surprised at the accusation.

"I don't care how, all I know is you had enough reason to." "Unlike you Draco, I don't hold grudges." He said coldly.

"That's why you remained single after all these years?" Draco spat venomously. Rose had no idea about what had happened in the past, but it looked to have caused a major rift between the two men.

"Don't go there." Blaise said sharply.

"I won't if you stop this game and free my son." Draco said matching his tone.

"Not everything is a game Draco, and it's high time you learned that." "So it wasn't a game when you almost ruined my marriage?"Draco hissed. "No. Not then, not now. If your son is in trouble it's his own fault if not yours. I had nothing to do with it." He said stoically.

There was a stony silence broken by the crackling of the flames. "I don't give a damn if you believe me or not Malfoy, but I have no hand in any of this. I would never do anything to hurt her." He said quietly, looking Draco straight in the eye.

It was that one sentence that seemed to make all the difference, and the atmosphere changed as if by the flip of a switch. The heavy tension and intense hostility dissolved as Draco finally believed the man.

"Can you think of who it could be?" he asked now sounding defeated. He had been so sure it was Blaise and now they had to start from square one.

"Did you try Nott? Even Flint." Blaise suggested, but Draco shook his head. "Flint's Daphne's husband, we're family. And Nott would never have to brains to pull it off." Draco pondered out loud.

"Why do you think it's someone from our times?" Blaise wondered.

"Because Scorpius doesn't have any enemies." Rose piped up.

"Let's move Rose." Draco said before Blaise could comment and they left without another word.

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><p>New angle anyone? What do you think of Zabini? Do leave a review plese!<p>

Until next time, dear readers :)


	15. Chapter 14

words in italics are flashbacks!

ENJOY!

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><p>"Now where do we go?" Rose questioned once out of the grounds.<p>

"I'm not certain, do you have anyone in mind?" he asked her looking hopeful.

"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy. We could ask Uncle Harry if he has any leads though. Albus is working on the case as well." She supplied and he accepted though doubtful.

They apparated back to the Ministry and headed to the auror department hoping to catch one of the Potters. "Al, are you in here?" Rose called out, walking into the office which looked deserted.

"Rosie, is that you?" Harry Potter's voice came from the far end of the room, where she knew his cabin to be. "Yes Uncle harry, Mr. Malfoy is with me." She said proceeding towards the door.

"Any news Potter?" Draco asked. "No. But I will catch you up on all the information we have gathered, maybe you could shed some light on the matter." He said ushering them in.

Once they were settled he began.

"A little over six months ago the suspicious activity began with respect to muggles. The first victim of the torture was Melanie Pitt, a 20 year old muggle in East London. She was found in a secluded alley by the muggle authorities who admitted her to a nearby hospital immediately. When she finally came around after four surgeries she was questioned about her attackers. She claimed it had been one person who had harmed her, using a stick of wood and flashing lights. Naturally the muggles thought she had lost her mind and attributed it to her failing health. George Peterson however, our eye inside the muggle hospital knew what had happened immediately and reported it back to us. We brought her in for questioning yet again, but we couldn't gather anything else. She was in shock and was hardly able to make coherent sentences. We admitted her to St. Mungos where she is presently.

Our second victim, again female, 22 years old was Grace Williams. She was found around the same area as Melanie which made us think of a possible connection between the two cases. The signs of trauma were similar in both of them, as were their descriptions of their attacker. A tall male, wearing complete black, his face obscured from view with a mask. Grace too is in no position for further inquiry, and is also in Mungos.

The next attack was on a group. They were found outside a night club, not far from here actually. There were four men and two women all in their early twenties. Similar signs of magic and damage, same recollections. This time however, one of the guys was in a pretty ok shape to talk to us. He gave us an account of their evening before the attack and explained how their attacker easily over powered all of them within seconds. When the pattern was emerging clearly to us we tried taking preventive steps.

We issued orders to the muggle Prime minister to release safety advertisements. A huge campaign was initiated and things were running smoothly for a week before another attack took place.

It was then that the rumours of death warriors started.

It had been a quite murmur for a while, but soon we got a few people stepping forward claiming there was a bigger operation behind the attacks. A little digging brought forward the existence of a group called the death warriors, consisting of 12 members and Scorpius Malfoy at the helm." Harry concluded.

"How did you jump to the conclusion that it was a former death eater?" Draco asked bitterly.

"We had an anonymous tip off." Harry replied calmly.

"An anonymous tip? Potter is that how you run this department?" Draco asked outraged now.

"Look Malfoy, we were at a dead end, and I thought there was no harm in trying." He said.

"What about the death? Caroline Pierce?" Rose asked trying to break the tension.

"Yes, I was getting to that." Harry said. "She was the last victim, the attacks stopped immediately after her death. She too resembled the others, with signs of torture before the final killing curse. She seemed to have put up a fight given the condition of her hands and surroundings. There were a total of 15 torture victims, 7 males and 8 females, and one death. All in their late teens or early twenties, same state of mind when left." He summarised.

"We have taken up all possible leads over the last six months about the whereabouts of the group, and the other possible members of course. Each time we have hit a dead end as the train goes dead cold. No one knows who they are; they are just wild speculations most of the time. People are getting edgy and that leads to a lot of false trails." He shrugged.

"What if we approach this another way Uncle Harry? What if there is no Death Warriors?" Rose voiced remembering her conversation with Rick from earlier.

"What do you mean Rosie?" he asked confused.

"Well what if there was never a group, all victims seem to say the same thing, that they saw just one man. So maybe it's just a one man operation, who leaked rumors about Death Warriors to throw us off track?" "It seems rather farfetched Rose. Why would someone go through all that trouble?" he asked not convinced. Draco on the other hand was nodding slowly, lost deep in thought.

"Ok let's say that's the case. Then why frame Scorpius?"

"I'm not sure Uncle Harry. Was it just random attacks or were the victims somehow linked? They were all of similar ages." she observed.

"Did the muggle authorities look into it?" she asked.

"No. Because we took over the investigation." He frowned.

"So it was just assumed that the victims were unrelated?" she asked, her mind jumping miles ahead with the possibilities.

"So you mean if we find a link we find the killer?" Draco said catching on.

"It probably will explain why the attacks stopped. Maybe they never meant to kill anyone." she guessed, excitement evident at the new track or thought.

"I'll have my best team on it. We'll thoroughly investigate the victims' past, find some connection." Harry said finally getting on board. They were running out of time and any idea seemed a great one right now.

"You know what I don't understand though..." Rose trailed off.

"What?" Harry and Draco said in tandem.

"Why not use a memory charm on the victims? Truly cover your tracks. Surely he must have realized we would follow up." she said frowning in concentration. "Maybe he wanted us to catch him?" Draco supplied.

"So that he could rot in Azkaban? No way." Harry said, Rose nodding absent mindedly.

"Sleep over it... Might help." Harry finally said, dismissing them.

That night Rose fell into an uneasy sleep, knowing what was coming was going to be much worse than what they had faced till now.

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><p><em>"Aren't you excited about tonight Rose?" Lily asked, bouncing up and down in her own enthusiasm. That might have stemmed from the fact <em>_that two of her family members were graduating Hogwarts that day, including her own brother, or that finally she wouldn't have her over protective brothers around school to keep her in check. Rose supposed it was the latter. _

_"Of course I am Lils... But I am a little sad too... Can't believe we won't be coming back next year" she sighed. She wasn't alone in her sentiments, most of her peers felt exactly the same way. _

_It was still early in the morning but Rose was already up and dressed. She had risen with the sun, watching the Hogwarts sunrise she loved so dearly one last time. _

_It had put her in a morose mood and not even Lily's energy could cheer her up. _

_"Hey Lils, Rosie." Al said joining them for breakfast. "You're up early." Rose noted. "Couldn't sleep." "I know what you mean." she said. "Oh stop moping around. Go enjoy your last few hours." Lily said. "I agree with midget." Scorpius said coming up from behind them. "Good morning Al, Ro, squirt" he said sitting down. _

_Al and Rose greeted him while Lily merely scowled at his nick names for her. _

_"It's a fine morning, best not to let it go to waste." he continued helping himself to the toast Rose had just finished buttering. Used to his antics from the past 7 years she just picked up another slice and started again. _

_But Lily had more to say. "You've got to learn to butter your own toast Scorp... Today's the last day you can steal Rosie's" she reminded him. _

_A small, insignificant statement which she had meant only in jest to tease him back had a profound effect on Rose. _

_Though she had been sad to leave the castle she had never given a thought as to what would happen to their relationship. It was only now beginning to hit her that things would hardly be the same with Scorpius. The thought itself wanted to make her regurgitate her breakfast and she quickly exited the room before she actually did. _

_She didn't need an audience especially a certain blonde haired boy._

_Her abrupt departure obviously didn't go unnoticed, and the boy she was running from followed her right out._

_She ran into the first empty class room she found and was still there when Scorpius checked half an hour later._

_"Oh thank God. We were scared where you had run off to." He said before ducking out of the room, probably to tell the rest of the search party that she had been found._

_Being the last day there were no classes, only extreme chaos and confusion. _

_He returned within two minutes, panting slightly as he took a seat next to her. She didn't move nor make any gesture to acknowledge him, and he didn't utter a single word either knowing her well enough not to break the silence. _

_They sat together for a while in the companionable silence, one he was itching to break to find out what was wrong. __He couldn't bear to see her like this, so down, so… sad. He had always been the one to put a smile on her pretty face and he couldn't wait to do it again. _

_"Want to talk about it?" he finally asked when she looked like she was going to burst into tears. She shook her head and turned away from him. He could read her extremely well, and at the moment she needed her privacy._

_"You can always come and butter my toast every morning at the manor Rosie, I'll tell the house elves to leave it to you." He said seriously, nudging her shoulders with his slightly. His statement had the desired effect; she let out a small giggle at his words which encouraged him. He put his arm around her, holding her close to him and she relaxed happily into his embrace. _

_"What's wrong?" he urged again, rubbing soothing circles on her arm with his fingers. _

_"Things are going to be different now aren't they?" she asked dejected. _

_"Yes Rose, they are. Did you expect to stay seventeen and in Hogwarts forever?" he asked softly. "No, I don't mind leaving Hogwarts…" she sighed and then he realized what she was worried about. Frankly he had been a bit worried about it too, given his girlfriend and everything, but he wasn't going to voice that to her. "Nothing is going to come between us, I promise." He assured her confidently, contrary to his nerves._

_She didn't say anything, only burrowed herself closer to him._

_"Rose, weren't you the one who lectured me on how change is inevitable. How change can be good. The same applies here you know? Ok maybe we won't see each other early every morning, and spend all day together. But the hours we do spend together will be even more special then. Besides we both will be at the Ministry, sure in different departments, but we could always meet for lunch. And you say yourself how you need a break from me. Maybe change will be good." He tried to reason. "I didn't mean it literally; I only said it because you were irritating me." She said, her voice strained from holding back tears. _

_No more joking, he made a mental note, hating to be the reason of her despair. He continued rubbing her arm while he tried to reassure her once more. "I know, Rose. Look, I promise I'll do my best to make time for you. You are my number one priority ok, nothing, especially distance will change that." He said resolutely. _

_She mumbled something incoherent, and he asked her to repeat, now concerned. Was that the only reason she was so depressed? The problem seemed more deep rooted from where he was sitting and he wanted to get to the bottom of it._

_"June?"She asked and he sighed not knowing where to begin. _

_"It's ok Scor I get it." She said softly. He didn't say a word, staring out into the forbidden forest as she had been when he had found her. _

_"I love her Rose." He said at long last. _

_They were not the words she wanted or needed to hear. It was however the wakeup call she required and she pulled out of his embrace, shocked at how close they were sitting. Sure it felt perfect and they used to do it plenty of times before, but that was before he had gotten himself a girlfriend, one whom he loved. He frowned, moving to pull her closer, to reassure her nothing needed to change when they were interrupted by a high screech. "Scorpius! I've been looking all over for you!" she cried throwing herself into his arms completely disregarding the girl standing next to him. _

_"Hi June" he said shortly before she kissed him squarely on the mouth._

_That gesture told Rose that she had indeed been noticed. _

_Rose might have been weak at that moment, in absolute pain due to his declaration, and even blinded by love, but one thing she wasn't was stupid. Realizing at once that she was not needed she proceeded hastily to leave the room only to find a restraining arm on her shoulder. She looked back to find his stormy eyes begging her to stay, that he was not finished with what he had been saying. That there was a lot more that he wanted to say to her, that she had to listen to whether good or bad. _

_They were pleading with her to do the one thing she couldn't, to understand. _

_Faced with her choices she picked the one that would hurt less for the both of them. _

_She shrugged off his hand and ran out of the door, but not before he saw one lone tear make its way down her cheek._

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><p>Review, please?<p>

Sorry for the delay! Thanks for all the alerts, favs and reviews :)

Until next time!


	16. Chapter 15

Words in Italics are flashbacks, continued from the previous chapter! _  
><em>

Do leave a review? :)_  
><em>

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><p><em>Furious with herself for showing her tears she ran to the one place she could always find solace, the library. <em>

_She pulled out a random book, undisturbed for it was a gorgeous day and their last one at school. _

_She read with unseeing eyes, her tears blurring her vision almost completely. The words which she had read a dozen times before were now foreign in front of her eyes. She was alone in her little corner just by the restricted section, and her peace was disturbed once again, by the same source of distraction within a span of half an hour. _

_As before he didn't comment, just slid down next to her so that they were level on the floor. _

_"Care to explain why you ran away?" he asked calmly after a while though she knew that inside he was angry, terribly angry. She didn't respond, knowing that her answer wouldn't please him in the least. _

_"Rose?" he said warningly, but to no avail. He finally turned to face her, though her eyes were trained obstinately on the floor she sat on. _

_He coaxed her face up; tapping her chin with his fingers till her eyes met his. _

_She was shocked by their warmth, expecting to find fury but meeting with extreme gentleness. _

_"Tell me what's bothering you, please." He said almost begging. She shook her head and turned away yet again._

_ "Fine, be like that." He said. She half expected him to storm out of there, but instead he settled right down, pulling a random book from a shelf and started reading. _

_She stared at him, simply stared. _

_The past few days had been hard on both of them. June was getting in the way, quite unlike his previous girlfriends. The realization that she was in love with the boy had hit her hard too. Sure there had been other girls, she had even dated a few guys (who had dared to approach, not scared away by her horde of cousins and Scorpius himself) but at the end of the day they had always found solace in each other's arms. _

_With June who seemed pretty permanent, and their term at school ending too, it had all gotten a bit too overwhelming for Rose. _

_She was often irritable and on edge, picking fights with him for absolutely no reason. It left him confused and frustrated which in turn was taken out on her. Albus would intervene, telling them they were being ridiculous and they would make up, only to repeat the same process the next week if not day. _

_It had been quite exhausting in her opinion, coupled with the NEWTs and she realized that she had to confront him right then or she would lose the opportunity. _

_"Scor?" she said softly and she heard him sigh in relief before answering. "Yes Ro?" She struggled with herself for a bit before finally saying "Is your speech for the evening ready?" His face fell, as if he had been expecting something else entirely. _

_"It's always been impromptu for me, since when have I needed to write down what I need to say?" he asked nonchalantly and she giggled. "So overconfident." She said. "Do you need help with yours?" he offered and she accepted gratefully. _

_It took about an hour, given all his teasing, but finally they had it written out. And Rose was feeling decidedly better having spent some time with him. Want to go and visit Hagrid? Get out of this musty room." He said standing up and pulling her with him. _

_"Sure." She said happily, glad to go just anywhere with him. It truly was a gorgeous day as he had said before, and they strolled out hand in hand, Rose feeling lighter than she had in months._

_ Yes they hadn't talked things out, but maybe there was hope after all. She resolved to come clean with him that night, after the ceremony. If things went well, that was great; if not at least she would get to spend a few more hours with him. _

_She was being selfish, but at the moment she didn't care. They had a wonderful time, just sitting by the lake and reminiscing about their first few years. Scorpius had been smart enough to ask an elf to pack them a picnic. So they sat undisturbed for a few hours, enjoying their last few moments before reality caught up with them. _

_It was by 6 that Lily came and broke their peace, stealing Rose away to get her dressed despite her protests. He had just watched amused, chuckling away as Rose tried to fight her cousin. _

_"Go on Rose, I'll meet you in the Great Hall then." He had said and taking that promise she had humored Lily by letting her dress her up. _

* * *

><p>Rose awoke with a start, to find herself in the safety of her own bed. She had had a terrible nightmare, one in which she had lost Scorpius to the dementors. Strangely the dementors resembled June.<p>

Shaking her head to get rid of the nasty images she laid her head back on her warm pillow to try and catch a few more minutes of precious sleep. But that was not to be, and she rolled out of bed to get prepared for this one last day.

The trial for his life was going to be held the next day if they didn't find any evidence to help push the date back further, and the rate at which they were going it didn't seem even remotely possible that they were going to win.

She remembered what he had said about seeing different lights flashing before his eyes. Probably they were nothing but she decided to research anyway. Having inherited her mum's work ethics, she sat down in an orderly fashion and started looking through the books she had at home in a methodic way.

The symptoms seemed vaguely familiar and she knew she had read about it somewhere, but couldn't put her finger on exactly where.

After almost an hour of intense reading she gave up, opting to go to work and check if they had anymore leads.

* * *

><p>"You mean to tell me that you incompetent fools have not found a single loop hole in the law?" Peter Blake shouted making his team cower in fright before him. This was becoming quite a habit wasn't it? Rose winced at his tone and kept her head bent low, when all she wanted was to retort bitingly and tell him to do it himself if he was so wise.<p>

The man did have years and years of experience and he was a great lawyer, she had to give him that but she didn't like his methods. "Weasely bring us up to date." He roared and it was a miracle that she didn't shrink away.

She stood up and cleared her throat before speaking in a professional voice. "Our client, who up till now hadn't uttered a single word agreed to give us details if allowed to meet with his wife. His wife wasn't in a position to meet with him so we administered polyjuice so it would appear as if she were before him. Having fulfilled our side of the deal, he gave in and relayed his account of the murder. He claims to be innocent of the deed and refutes the allegations of torture of the other victims as well. As for the group Death Warriors he has no inputs and no suspicions on any person who could frame him." She summarized.

"And what is the proposed plan of action now?" he asked looking at the faces of his employees sitting around him. No one dared to answer him. Yet again Rose swallowed angry words that were at the tip of her tongue.

"What is the proposed plan of action?" he yelled, banging his hand on the table, making it shake with the intensity of his anger. Yet again he was met with silence. "Watson? Weasely?" he asked menacingly. They didn't answer.

"You disgust me, brainless oafs. Dismiss. Go on, make yourselves useful. Worse than trolls all of you." He said scathingly.

"He's such a nightmare." Rick groaned as they exited the room and he was sure Blake was out of earshot.

"Tell me about it." Rose muttered under her breath.

"What is your plan?" Rick asked knowingly. He was much more senior than her, and she had served him his coffee many times despite their same age. But he was still extremely friendly, valuing her opinion as he would an equals.

They had gotten to know each other a bit in their few months together, and though Rose was not very open about her personal life he could understand her pretty well. She let out a small laugh at his correct assumption and she let him in on the details her uncle had discussed with her the previous night.

"Wow, so there really might not be a group?" he asked shocked that his idea had been right.

"I really hope not." She sighed.

"So are you going with your uncle then?" he asked her.

"No, Mr. Malfoy asked me to go with him. He believes this theory a little more than Uncle Harry, but that may just be because he desperate."

"Good luck then Weasely send me a patronus if you need anything." He said and she nodded noting his offer.

"Can you check up on what could cause those flashing lights?" she asked.

"The ones Malfoy mentioned?" he enquired.

"Yeah. They might be useless but if it means something, like a side effect of a spell then we can see what caused his memory loss." She said.

"Consider it done." He said offering her one of his charming smiles.

"Thanks Rick." she said smiling back.

"If you're done with the overdose of saccharine I have news Rosie." Albus Potter said breaking up their conversation. She ignored his comment and jumped up eagerly.

"Well?" she prompted when he chose to study her carefully instead of divulging the information.

"We have a new lead on the Death Warriors. A guy at a bar tipped off one of our undercover aurors about the whereabouts of their Headquarters. A team is on its way to check it out now, and I'm on my way there too. It may be nothing, but even if we find one member and link it back to them it could be worth something.

"Who's the guy?" Rick asked voicing Rose's question too.

"We're not too sure; we found him near Knockturn Alley and suspect he's from that part of town if you know what I mean. We've brought him in anyway, if we can't nab him for Death Warriors we'll probably get something else out of him." Al said sounding hopeful. "I'm coming with you." Rose announced ready to leave.

Al being the protective elder brother he was put his foot down and forbade it firmly. "No way in hell am I even taking you near that place Rosie." He said before apparating away. Being an auror he had special permission to apparate to and from the Ministry whenever he pleased, and he had just used that to his advantage, leaving Rose with insufficient information enough to drive her crazy.

She let out a frustrated groan in his direction, thoroughly annoyed but happy that they at least had some lead. This probably meant that their theory that there was no Death Warriors was wrong, but for now all she wanted was to clear Scorpius' name.

"You better get going then." Rick said, nodding to the exit. Just beyond the glass door she could make out Draco Malfoy's profile as he was in conversation with one of the lawyers.

She nodded to Rick and made her way out, determined to remain optimistic no matter what. Even as she approached them she noticed how similar father and son were in appearances. So, engrossed in her thoughts she didn't make out the raised voices nor the angry tones of Mr. Blake till she was upon them.

They were having an argument yet again it seemed and Rose didn't like what she was hearing.

William Blake was known to be a volatile man with violent and rather damaging mood-swings. If pushed too hard he would definitely quit and that wouldn't be in favor of the Malfoys given their present situation.

Though Draco had strived hard for the past two decades to restore the family name, apprehension and uncertainty still left lingering doubts in the minds of the people. It was hard for them, their every action being scrutinized, and this whole fiasco served to make that more pronounced. It might have been what the actual murderer might have been aiming for, Rose realized, widening their list of suspects.

She looked at the scene unfolding before her helplessly, not wanting to interfere but needing to stop it all the same.

Her savior came in the form of Miss Greene who understood the situation just as Rose did. She had misjudged the woman after all; she did have some tact it seemed. Glad for the distraction she quickly went up to Mr. Malfoy's side, literally dragging him away from the chaos.

"What did you have in mind Mr. Malfoy?" she asked trying to change the topic and get cracking.

"I called Mungos to check on the patients brought in for memory tests there. They are still in no condition to talk." He informed her.

"So should we talk to the families?" Rose asked needing somewhere to start.

"I think the aurors have been deployed to do the same." He said.

"So where do we go?" she asked now confused.

"I trust you heard that they located the Headquarters?" he asked. She just nodded, excited about where this was heading.

"Well I may just know where it is." He said a wicked gleam in his eyes as he took her arm and they disapparated.


	17. Chapter 16

Recap

"What did you have in mind Mr. Malfoy?" she asked trying to change the topic and get cracking. "I called Mungos to check on the patients brought in for memory tests there. They are still in no condition to talk." He informed her. "So should we talk to the families?" Rose asked needing somewhere to start. "I think the aurors have been deployed to do the same." He said. "So where do we go?" she asked now confused. "I trust you heard that they located the Headquarters?" he asked. She just nodded, excited about where this was heading. "Well I may just know where it is." He said a wicked gleam in his eyes as he took her arm and they disapparated.

* * *

><p>Draco Malfoy arrived looking frantic and haggard at the Ministry of Magic, reaching the auror offices just in time to see Rose Weasely disappear into thin air with a man who looked exactly like him.<p>

"No!" he cried out, but in vain as the damage had been done. Elizabeth Greene who had been involved in a conversation with William Blake not far off had witnessed the entire scene and comprehended immediately. She looked over at the actual Malfoy, who was still panting, trying to get his breath back.

He may have been quite an athlete while younger but he could now feel his years catch up with him, giving him a rude awakening.

He clutched his knees, almost doubling over in the effort to recover. And as he did he gasped out, "They broke into my house."

It was not every day that you would be able to spot the impeccably groomed Draco Malfoy this disheveled. So to see him in such a state was rather unnerving for the lawyer staff he had hired to help free his son. Seeing his son's only benefactor getting kidnapped, that too by one who looked just like him was the last straw.

He feared for her life, just as he did his son's.

The same people were involved, and it seemed like no one knew what they were capable of.

Elizabeth Greene rushed over to him, conjuring a glass of water as she did.

"They broke into my house." He said again, unable to accept it.

"Was anything else stolen?" she asked hurriedly.

"No, just my sweater." He said dejectedly.

The implications of the fact that it was Rose Weasely who had been kidnapped, right in front of their eyes was only just beginning to dawn on him.

Not just was she the offspring of two-thirds of the Golden Trio, she was also seen taken by an imposter who looked just like him, while working on a case to save his son. There was always trouble when Weaselys and Malfoys interacted and as of now the future looked bleak for his entire family.

"I just heard, are Astoria and Narcissa ok?" Potter asked storming into the department, a hassled and murderous looking Ron Weasely following in his wake.

Before he had time to answer his once arch-enemy's question, his side kick had grabbed him by the scruff of his collar, shouting profanities which he could barely make out.

"Ron, let him breathe!" Potter yelled trying to prevent him from strangling the blonde. It took a quick recovery and a shield charm on Malfoy's part to finally repel him.

Miss Greene being her resourceful chair helped him into a chair. But not one to be restrained he stood again, wand raised but on the defensive.

"Calm down Malfoy. That's quite enough Ron." Potter said authoritatively.

Well he wasn't the Head of the Auror Department for nothing, Draco supposed. He waited till both men had regained some semblance of control, though Weasely was now beet red and Malfoy was paler than ever, before speaking.

"What exactly happened Draco?" he asked professionally.

"When I awoke this morning something seemed amiss. I checked the wards just in case, though Astoria thought I was being paranoid. I had been right; someone had subdued the wards and broken in. I checked immediately, and the only thing that seemed to be missing was the sweater I wore yesterday. It was apparent as to what had happened so I rushed here immediately to warn them off. I got here in time to see Rose disapparate with a man who looked like me. And then you came charging in." he said, his tone scathing as he said the last sentence, resembling the boy he had been in school.

Some things never change, Harry thought to himself even as he listened to the account.

"How could anyone surpass your wards?" he asked thoughtfully.

"That's what I'm not able to figure out. I really did think they were fool-proof." He said, sounding slightly agitated by this flaw.

"Well they obviously weren't." Harry frowned as he pondered it over.

"How does any of this help find my daughter?" Ron thundered, angry even with his best friend now.

"I swear to God Malfoy, if something happens to her you're going to wish you were never born!" "Ron yelling isn't going to solve our problems. If we figure out who broke into the Manor then we can track down who took Rose." Harry explained calmly.

"How can you stand there quietly Harry?! She's my daughter! What would you have done if it was Lily who was in danger?" he roared. "She's not only your daughter but my niece Ron. She's like a daughter to me and you know it. Of course I'm worried, and I want to see her back safe and sound. But for that to happen we need to think rationally. Pointing fingers won't get us anywhere. Besides, this is Rose we are talking about. She can take care of herself." He said.

"But… but…" Ron spluttered.

But Harry was done with him and had already turned back to Draco.

"Can you show me your wards? We could then try and figure out how they might have been tampered with." He said and Malfoy nodded, ready to leave at once.

"Wait Mr. Potter!" Elizabeth Greene called out to them before they left.

"Moments before Miss Weasely joined him, Mr. Malfoy…. Er… the imposter Malfoy and Mr. Blake got into a huge argument." She said.

"What was it about?" Draco himself asked sharply.

"Something about how we weren't doing our best and that you would withdraw the case from our firm. Mr. Blake was pretty upset and said that one more threat and he would quit himself. I intervened before things got nastier." She said.

"What?" Draco asked looking thunder struck now.

He couldn't afford to lose Peter Blake and his team. For one he wouldn't be able to find a replacement within 24 hours, the time left for the hearing slowly running out. Also they knew all the case details having worked on it for months together. To change now would be suicide, a sure defeat. Not to mention the fact that not many firms were even willing to take up the case, having deemed it a lost cause already. This new development showed that the people behind this were willing to go to any extents to sabotage him and his son.

Shell shocked as he was he still led Potter back to the Manor. Ron being instructed by Harry to head back to shop and keep a look out for any information.

A scared Astoria welcomed them all, choosing to open the door herself than trust the house elves.

"Are you fine Mrs. Malfoy? Any injuries?" Potter asked immediately and she shook her head. "Just shaken up is all." She answered warily.

Narcissa Malfoy joined them, looking frail and weaker than ever. Her health had been on the decline ever since Lucius had passed, and now seeing her grandson in jail must have made things worse for her.

"Mr. Potter." She acknowledged, a look of understanding passing between them. She had trusted him to save the Wizarding world, her son and now her grandson as well. "I've invited Hermione as well. She had the best understanding of wards and such. Adjust your floo to let her in." Harry said.

"Does she know her daughter is missing?" Draco asked softly.

"I sent her a patronus." Was all he said

"She agreed to come?"

"Yes I did, I will find her, no matter what happens." Hermione said herself, appearing through a swirl of green flames.

Without wasting another word she got to work, muttering incantations under her breath as she waved her wand around in complex patterns. The rest watched dumb-founded and slightly in awe of the witch so in control before them.

"Ok, they are set so that any family member can enter without setting off the wards, no one else." She concluded looking rather impressed. "

Who put up the wards?" she asked. "I did." Draco said shortly and she nodded in approval.

"So what are you saying Miss Granger?" Narcissa asked, still sharp despite her physical limitations.

"That it must have been someone you are related to. It's impossible otherwise. Even if it was an acquaintance you may have allowed access to in the past the wards would have notified Mal – Draco." She said.

"Are you insinuating something Mrs. Weasely?" Astoria Malfoy asked her voice stiff.

"Tori." Draco warned softly before turning to their guests.

"Look you know we don't have many living relatives left. It's only Ted Lupin from my mum's side of the family and the Greengrasses of course by marriage." He said. "I've known the Greengrasses for years and I can vouch for them. As for Teddy Lupin, you should know better than anyone right Potter?" he said defending his wife.

"Don't forget June Rodgers and her family." Harry added as they all mulled over it.

"What do you know about them Draco?" he asked.

"Not much." Draco said almost shamefully.

"We were taken by surprise when they sprung the wedding on us. He hardly knew her, we only met her once before. Even after the event they never came over, not even for the holidays. My son is an extremely private person; I've hardly met any of his friends." Draco provided. Was that resentment she heard?

"I'll look into it then." Harry said immediately, heading for the floo.

Hermione lingered, unsure what to say.

She had after all insulted Astoria's family and quite blatantly at that. Though nothing was confirmed the Greengrasses could be ruled out. They had been in good relations with the Malfoys for decades now, and their reputation was impeccable even through the war.

"I'm sorry Astoria; I got a bit carried away." She said finally.

"It's ok Hermione. I understand how you feel." Astoria sighed looking years older than she was. It was a silent understanding, between two mothers who craved nothing more than their children back in their arms, safe and sound.

Hermione nodded to her once, squeezing her shoulder to offer her support.

"Rose is a brave girl, she'll be fine." Astoria said. Hermione inhaled deeply, hoping dearly she was right.

"I'll show you out." Draco offered leading the way.

Once out of hearing range he said "I'm sorry for dragging her into this Granger. This is my entire fault."

"You think she would have sat quietly Malfoy, watching your son be put away." she sighed, knowing too well how much like herself her daughter was.

Fiercely loyal, stubborn to the point of frustration, dedicated, determined, sharp as a nail and extremely intelligent.

And she was in love.

So blindly in love it was hard to watch her.

She had suffered in silence though, and they had all been helpless when faced with the situation.

"You don't need to justify your son's actions Malfoy. They were young, didn't know any better." she said when he started to apologize. "For what it's worth I would have preferred Rose over June for a daughter-in-law any day." he said quietly.

"Even if it meant Ron and me as extended family?" she asked smiling. "Who would have thought we would all end up as one big happy family after Hogwarts?" he joked, smiling back.

"Thanks Malfoy."

"Take care Granger."

"You too." she said apparating with a crack.

He stared after her pondering over the recent events. If it was someone related to him it had just made the list of suspects awfully small. It also meant that the person behind it was extremely ruthless, and someone with access to a lot more than Draco had thought possible.

* * *

><p>Ok, who saw that coming? I had a moments inspiration and completely changed the track of the story from what I had in mind before :)<p>

PLEASE REVIEW! I would love to know your thoughts and ideas!

Thanks for all the alerts, favs and reviews till now :) Please keep them coming!


	18. Chapter 17

Hey guys I want to thank you all for the alerts, favs and reviews!

Just a quick question though, do you want short chapters (like this one) and faster updates, or Longer chapters and a little spaced out updates? I've a lot of work in school, and without meaning to writing has taken a back seat for me. But I feel really guilty if I don't update fast enough as I know what it feels like to be on the other side! So do let me know! :)

on with the story then! ENJOY! and please review! It would mean a lot to me :)

* * *

><p>Draco Malfoy returned to the ministry of magic, wanting to be in the midst of things than on his own. Solitary confinement meant that his mind went back to visit all sorts of unpleasant memories and he didn't want to deal with any of them right now, not when his son was still in danger.<p>

* * *

><p>Harry's POV<p>

As soon as Harry flooed back to his cabin he called his most trusted people in the department, telling them to get all the information they could about June and her family.

There was something bugging him about Rose's kidnapping.

He decided to meet his source and confront him first before looking anywhere else.

He thought about that morning, feeling something was amiss. He had still been at home, getting ready for work. Ron had dropped in to hand Ginny something.

They had been sitting around the table when he had received a patronus asking him to go to the Ministry immediately as Rose had been taken. The last time he had an unknown patronus it led them to the sword of Gryffindor.

After the last time however, they (read as Hermione) had found a charm to identify the producer of the patronus.

The charm was simple enough and once performed it led them straight to Rick Watson, Rose's colleague and fellow Lawyer.

Believing it to be genuine, he had rushed over to the ministry, Ron hot on his trail.

There however he found a disheveled Draco Malfoy and a shocked Elizabeth Greene recounting what had just taken place before them.

That was what was bugging him.

The timeline of the events was skewed.

To everyone but Greene and Blake, it looked as though Rose had disapparated with Draco Malfoy himself.

Actually no one had even seen them leave together as according to the account of Greene no one else had been around.

Even supposing Rick had been watching from inside, he still wouldn't have known she had been kidnapped till the real Malfoy had burst in on the scene.

Yet he had received a patronus well in advance, for him to reach there less than a minute later.

That had to mean Rick Watson was involved somehow in this whole mess. Harry could feel the anticipation build in him as he left to see Rick. That boy had a few questions to answer, and he was hoping that the answers would lead him directly to his niece.

"Richard Watson?" Harry called out, entering the lawyers' make-shift office.

It was half past 10 and he had to find Rose without wasting too much time.

"He's over there Mr. Potter" Elizabeth Greene offered, pointing in his direction. Harry strode over to him purposefully, his wand raised.

"Speak now or I'll make you regret it." He said harshly, the years and years of Auror experience shining through. Rick seemed to get the message loud and clear as he held up his hands as if in surrender as he got up.

"Not here." Harry said leading him out. Once in his own office Harry bade him to speak.

"What do you want to know Mr. Potter?"

"Start from the beginning."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Rick, I don't think I made myself cleat before. Start talking now and tell me every bit of information you have on Rose Weasely or I'll send you to Azkaban before you can say 'Mercy'." Harry snarled, all his years interrogating criminals hadn't been for naught after all.

Rick looked a little uncomfortable now.

"I know you sent me that patronus Rick, I also know that the actual Malfoy hadn't appeared on the scene yet. So tell me, how did you do it?" Harry's patience was wearing thin now, his anger rising with every passing second.

Still no answer.

"We can do this all day, Watson; your boss will be quite pleased won't he. And just think how it will look on your CV, kicked out of Blake's organization on terms of incompetence." He was met with silence.

"You and I both know you're a good guy Rick, you even care about our Rosie a bit don't you. So tell me, why would you hurt her?"

A small twitch.

"Just imagine Richard, she must be tied up in a room somewhere, probably getting tortured. You don't want that do you?"

Very slowly he shook his head.

Harry could have jumped with joy for figuring this out! Thank Rosie for being such a kind lovable soul!

"If you tell me something, give me any sort of information we can get her back, unharmed." He said containing his excitement at the progress.

"Look it's not my fault…" Rick began, his voice shaking.

"Of course not Rick, this isn't an official interrogation, completely off records." Harry told him, hoping he would take the bait.

Luckily, he did.

"This guy came over to me last night, just outside the Ministry. He had on a large cape and his face was completely in the dark when he disarmed me. I told him I wasn't looking for any trouble, asked him to hand me my wand back and I wouldn't raise any noise. He handed me a pouch of 100 galleons. Told me that there was a lot more where that came from, and it would be mine if I sent you a patronus telling you Rose had been kidnapped when I got a signal. I- I did it- I needed the money Mr. Potter. I didn't think she would be in any kind of danger. I just thought…" he said, breaking down into sobs now.

Harry reeled back his anger knowing now wasn't the time to display it. He had to find her and fast.

"Ok Rick, is there anything else you can tell me? Who sent the signal maybe?"

"I'm so sorry Mr. Potter, I didn't see anyone, it was just a flash of blue light." He said, tears still streaming down his face.

"You should have come to me sooner Rick, or approached someone." Harry said reproachfully.

"I know that now. I'm so sorry, I didn't think."

"Can you describe the man?"

"No, but I'll give you the galleons, all of them. I don't want anything to do with them."

"It's a bit too late for that thought, but send them over all the same; we can have them tested for prints." Harry said authoritatively.

"Think hard Rick, are you sure you don't know anything else?" Harry asked frustrated now.

"Well Albus came over earlier saying they had found out about the Headquarters, and I heard Miss Greene mention something about that too." He offered.

"That was a dead end." Harry told him.

"I really am sorry Mr. Potter, if there is anything I can do let me know." Rick said and Harry waved him off.

He would deal with the young man later.

Finding his niece was now a more pressing issue.

Rick was at the door when he suddenly turned and said "Last night, when that man gave me the bag of galleons… this might not mean anything but there was a crest of sorts on the bag. I couldn't make out what it was but it'll probably mean more to you." He said, producing the bag immediately. "Thank you Rick, you may leave now." Harry dismissed him, taking the bag of galleons for further inspection.

It was a weird symbol, one he hadn't seen before, at least not one that he remembered. The bag was old and dirty, compromising the quality of the crest, so it wasn't very distinguishable.

He decided to run it through the crests they had in archives, hoping one would be a match.

It was agonizingly slow work, though there were 4 Wizards including him going through the archives.

Finally one of the new interns jumped up, saying she had a match. Harry looked over it, and it definitely looked the same.

He looked at the ownership.

It belonged to a warehouse thought to be discarded ages ago, during the war, 'Princely Cauldrons'. It was located in, surprise surprise, Knockturn alley.

"Great job team, thank you." He said hurriedly, rushing out into the main office of the Auror Department.

"Hey dad, any luck?" Albus asked him.

"Yes, I think I know where she is. Carry on son, close this case." He told him before disapparating with a pop.

_'Hang in there Rose, I'm coming' _

* * *

><p>"Any leads Potter?" Draco asked strolling into the Auror Department.<p>

"Actually yes Mr. Malfoy." Potter Junior answered instead.

"Oh, and?" he asked hopeful.

"One of the victims is being probed for answers. I am headed to St. Mungos now in fact." He said sifting through some paperwork. Something that would give him access Draco presumed.

"What about Miss Weasely?" he asked tentatively.

"Dad's gone looking for her. Said he knew where she might be and disapparated without another word. No news yet." He said following his father's footsteps before he could say a word edgewise.

Like father, like son Draco thought to himself as he made his way to the hospital as well.


	19. Chapter 18

Thanks for the reviews, alerts and Favs everyone! Please review! :)

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><p>Rose tried to regain her footing, getting rid of the squeezing feel of apparation as she surveyed her new surroundings quickly.<p>

The room was dark and musty, resembling the dungeons in the Ministry and bringing back horrible memories of her venture into the Malfoy Manor cellars with Scorpius on an occasion during one summer she had spent there while at school.

The lack of ventilation and exposure to sunlight made the entire place dank and dirty, a foul smell she couldn't place hanging over head.

And though the place looked as if unused for centuries, she felt as if she had been there before.

It seemed vaguely familiar and that sent chills down her spine.

Her companion motioned her to be quiet, illuminating the room to a small extent using his wand.

She followed suit, pulling out her own, ready in stance to face whatever might be coming.

Before she realized however her wand was flying out of her hand into Mr. Malfoy's, just as ropes appeared on her body, binding her arms tightly behind her back and her legs together, a partial body-bind in place.

She stared up at him in horror, having fallen to the floor due to the sudden movement, wondering where this was going.

Was he actually involved in all this? But he had been reformed, her own parents had sworn to it all those years ago! And certainly he wouldn't do something like this to his son? His own flesh and blood! She stared up in shock, unable to say or move thanks to his quick spell work. She had never let down her guard, not once, but she hadn't expected him to turn on her either.

Her practical mind struggled to put the pieces together.

The man she had worked with over the past 48 hours (had it only been that long?) was surely not the same as the one who stood above her now, wand raised in attack! He now had a manic look in his eyes as they flashed in victory.

She felt sick to the stomach thinking about what was coming.

"First rule in the game Miss Weasely, don't trust anyone." He sneered, a wicked scowl twisting his features.

She couldn't do anything, not move a single muscle as he paced as if waiting for someone.

Of course, he must have a partner.

Her position on the grimy floor was extremely awkward, her legs having bent into an odd angle as she fell.

The rest of her body rested on her hands, stretched back to the maximum extent while tied together tightly.

As a result her upper body was a little elevated, her head not resting completely on the floor below her.

Her joints and muscles had already begun to protest, and she wasn't sure how much longer she would last.

It struck her that no one knew where she was, with whom she was.

Her only hope was Miss Greene probably, and Ryan, but neither would suspect a thing out of place knowing whom she had left with.

The horror of her situation began to seep in, even as she noticed the man who had put her in this situation in the first place. Something was off she concluded.

He was nervous, very nervous, and his wand hand kept twitching as though he didn't have much control over it. As the minutes ticked by the crazed look became more and more frantic. Rose was praying now, for some small miracle to somehow change her luck. She was in deep trouble otherwise.

And then she felt it.

As if an answer to her desperate prayers, she felt the body bind lift. The relief was immense as she was able to move a little and shift to a more comfortable position, as comfortable as was possible that is, without giving anything away.

Her captor seemed to have forgotten about her now as he was consumed by extreme worry. She used this to her advantage, buying as much time as possible as she worked her way through the ropes binding her wrists.

It was hard work, given her pose and the fact that she didn't have any sharp object to aide her efforts.

But as she struggled silently without drawing any attention to herself, she felt the rope loosen, bit by bit.

She had to stall her attempts however when he turned back towards her, a menacing look on his face.

She laid plank like, hoping he hadn't noticed his poor display of magic. It was then that it clicked, The Draco Malfoy she knew was an excellent wizard. Anxiety only brought out the best in him, not the sub standard spells that had been cast on her.

Suddenly it all made sense.

"Who are you?" she whispered before she could stop herself.

"You're not the only one who knows the wonders of polyjuice potion Miss Weasely." The imposter said just as she realized what had happened.

"Who are you?" she bit out again, cursing herself for having been fooled so easily.

Her slip up was thankfully not noticed, the fake Malfoy not having caught on to the fact that the jinx had stopped working.

He wasn't a trained wizard she concluded, going over the facts yet again.

"The little miss know it all hasn't figured it out yet? And here I thought you had caught on to our plan Rosie Posie. Now I'm slightly disappointed in you." He said in the same tone.

With his attention now focused on her she could do nothing but stay still and keep him distracted enough not to cast any more spells or strengthen his previous ones.

"What do you have against Scorpius?" she tried a different angle.

"Oh Rose, not everything revolves around your perfect little world, the bigger picture needs to be considered at times." He laughed cryptically giving her a lot to think about.

Mind racing a mile a minute she wasn't sure what to ask to keep the conversation going.

In the time lapse between her questioning he took up pacing the room once again.

"Where are we?" she asked knowing it was futile. He didn't answer, rewarding her with a scathing look.

"Ok, so you're waiting for your partner aren't you?" she asked.

"Another word and I'll gag you so tight you can't feel your tongue." He said menacingly.

Dumb or not this man was certainly dangerous she realized.

The silence stretched on as did his endless pacing.

Only this time he had a sharp eye on her and she didn't dare try to move, and compromise herself in the process. It was extremely hard to maintain the position and she could feel every muscle in her limbs straining to hold on. She didn't work out much and she hadn't had any physical exercise since running around with her cousins back in her childhood. Her sheer will power was what kept her from collapsing, and even that was wavering as time ticked by.

She started analyzing what she knew yet again.

It was their last day to find any sort of proof to free him; the trial was the next day and with it would most certainly come the execution orders if they didn't do anything. She wondered where Al was, and if they had actually found the headquarters. She wondered about Mr. Malfoy, he was her only hope now. Only if he realized her missing would she be able to escape this predicament.

Would he come?

What about the victims in Mungos?Had anyone awakened enough to give a statement? Had the aurors found any leads on a connection between the muggle victims? There were so many ifs and buts, and Rose was scared to even hope one of them would hold true.

Suddenly she heard footsteps approaching and she waited with bated breath.

Maybe now she would finally find out who was behind this entire sham. From her position on the floor she couldn't see anyone but the imposter Draco who had kidnapped her.

"You got the girl?" a new voice sounded and the pacing finally stopped.

"Yes."

"Does anyone suspect anything?"

"No"

"You're sure?"

"Yes, everything went as planned."

"The lawyer quit then?"

"No, but he will."

"Hmmm…"

"What about the girl?"

"Leave her hear for now. She'll be of use later. Now go tackle Malfoy." The other man ordered.

The sound of footsteps told her that he had left, leaving his partner behind.

"Miss Weasely." He snarled, and she kept her silence, hoping not to tip him off on his partner's incompetence.

"We both know my partner's magic isn't strong Miss Weasely. So quit your act, I know you've broken free." He said, and she cursed internally as she felt the ropes tighten painfully at his words.

Apparently this man was no fool.

She struggled to break free in vain, and he watched her twist about on the floor.

He cleverly avoided her line of vision which meant she could see nothing, not even his shoes.

It wasn't a body bind though, so she could still move, and to her relief speak.

"Who are you?" she spat.

"You will find out soon enough Rose" he answered infuriatingly. She couldn't identify the voice either, which frustrated her to no extent.

"Your plans had gaping holes in it." She said, trying to get him to slip up and talk.

"And yet you still don't know my identity or my plan." He sneered.

"There is no 'Death Warriors' is there?"

"Very good Miss Weasely, 10 points to Ravenclaw." He said sarcastically.

"Then why did you do it?" she asked, now panting from her efforts to get free. The ropes were so tight they were cutting off complete circulation in her hands now!

"Don't tire yourself out from fighting the ropes Rose, you'll need your energy for later." He tsked, before walking away, leaving her all alone.

Finally alone Rose put all her efforts into breaking free.

She only hoped that everyone believed Mr. Malfoy, the real one about the entire episode and that someone would come looking for her.

From the conversation of her kidnappers it was evident that they hadn't gotten to him yet.

She pondered over who it could be and why they would kidnap her of all people.

Was it because she was close to finding out something? Or was it some sort of a ruse to lead them off track. She went over the information available again and again, feeling useless.

Time was precious and every minute she spent tied up was a minute lost in getting closer to the truth.

Her hands and entire upper body was aching now from being in such a bad posture for so long.

The ropes had cut off circulation in her wrist, making it numb.

Any movement she tried to make hurt like hell.

After what felt like several hours, she heard footsteps again.

"Rose?" a cautious voice asked, one that sounded very similar to a person she knew very well.

"Uncle Harry?" she called out, her voice hoarse.

She cleared her throat and tried again.

"Rose, is that you?" he asked, a little louder and more confident now.

"Yes, Uncle Harry, I'm over here." She called out, hoping that it truly was him and not another imposter.

"Oh, Thank God Rosie!" he said, the bright light from his wand hitting her face at his words.

He came over to her immediately, vanishing her bindings wordlessly.

"Lie still while I assess you for any damage." He told her, concern filled in his green eyes.

"Wait. What time was I born?" she asked him.

Confusion flashed in his eyes for a second, before he smiled proudly and answered "8:12, the morning of 10th March."

"I'm sorry Uncle Harry, I had to check." She said, relief flooding through her body.

"I'm glad you did Rose, I understand." He said.

"Are you hurt?" he asked her.

"No, I'll be fine" she said scrambling to her feet.

The feeling of blood rushing back to her fingers and feet however made her fall again.

Harry wanted to make sure she was ok, but she clung onto him, telling him to get them out of there as fast as possible. And so he did, taking her to St. Mungos immediately.


	20. Chapter 19

I know it has been way too long! And I won't make excuses. I'm really sorry!

Thanks all of you who have read, reviewed, alerted and favourite-d the story :)

Please review!

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><p>Recap:<p>

**"Oh, Thank God Rosie!" he said, the bright light from his wand hitting her face at his words. He came over to her immediately, vanishing her bindings wordlessly. "Lie still while I assess you for any damage." He told her, concern filled in his green eyes. "Wait. What time was I born?" she asked him. Confusion flashed in his eyes for a second, before he smiled proudly and answered "8:12, the morning of 10th March." "I'm sorry Uncle Harry, I had to check." She said, relief flooding through her body. "I'm glad you did Rose, I understand." He said. "Are you hurt?" he asked her. "No, I'll be fine" she said scrambling to her feet. The feeling of blood rushing back to her fingers and feet however made her fall again. Harry wanted to make sure she was ok, but she clung onto him, telling him to get them out of there as fast as possible. And so he did, taking her to St. Mungos immediately.**

"How did you find me?" was her first question once in the safety of an enclosed room.

It was just past noon and Harry had decided he would have lunch with her before leaving the hospital together.

A message had been sent across to Hermione, Ron, Draco and Elizabeth Greene informing them about Rose's safety. Draco had rushed to her ward immediately, having been in the hospital till then.

"I had my suspicions, I'll tell you, but you go first." He told her.

So Rose recounted the tale, leaving out the part about suspecting Draco. The poor man had enough on his plate and he really didn't need to know of her lack of trust.

"What happened while I was away?" she asked.

"When I woke up today I felt that the wards at the Manor had somehow been compensated. So I checked and realized they had. I rushed over to the Ministry to warn them, and came in time to see you leave with a man who looked like me. If my timing had been even a little off no one would have believed me." He said sounding weary.

Harry clapped his hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"Elizabeth realized what happened immediately, and a minute later Harry and your dad burst in demanding answers…" he trailed off, suddenly realizing something.

In the heat of the moment when everything was happening at once and Rose's safety was the utmost worry he had missed this, they all had. "Potter, how did you know?" he asked.

"Know what?" Rose asked, curious.

"That Rose had been kidnapped? I had only just arrived at the Ministry and Elizabeth and Peter were the only ones in the room who witnessed it other than me. You came in less than a minute later! Who informed you?" he asked, wondering how that glaring error had missed them all.

"That's precisely how I tracked Rose down." He told them.

"Explain."

And so he did.

"Wow, Rick huh?" Rose asked, her voice shaking.

"I'm sorry Rose, for what its worth he did help out in the end." Harry said trying to comfort his already distraught niece.

Her eyes shone with hurt and betrayal but she tried to cover it up as best as she could.

"Ok, so what now? Did the victim remember anything? Even if she says that her attacker had dark hair we could work on something." She said, now desperate.

"It was another dead end Rosie, just like the Headquarters." Harry said shaking his head.

"What I don't understand is why involve Rick at all? Why try to warn us that she has been kidnapped?" he asked.

"Probably to throw suspicion on Mr. Malfoy." Rose offered, now ashamed by her own thoughts.

"She's right." Draco said immediately.

"So someone's out to get the Malfoys then?" he said sheepishly, trying to laugh it off.

"No Malfoy, no one holds grudges that long." Harry told him quietly.

"You don't know the people I've grown up with Potter." He said darkly, but Harry was adamant."No Draco, this is not some war prejudice."

"This case just doesn't make any sense. Everywhere we turn there are loose ends. And if we get anything concrete it just fizzles out. There are so many question marks Uncle Harry! It's as though the person behind this is regretting doing it, or wants to be found out. And then he goes and does something to show how much he is capable of while showing how bad his magic skills really are. It's driving me spare trying to figure this out. And now from what you say it looks like June is involved too. It's all just too much." Rose sighed.

"I understand how you feel Rose. But look; now we know that there are two people involved." Harry said.

"That only complicates things Potter, now we have two people to look for." Draco said.

"I've asked my people to dig up information on June Rodgers, I can check if they have anything." Harry said.

"Wait; is there anything else you over heard Rose?" Draco asked her.

She thought over it and then shook her head. "No, but I did lose my wand though." She said suddenly.

"Oh, this is not good." Harry said."Ok, I'll put out a word." He said.

"Oh and Rose, I've told your dad I've sent you home. If he knows I'm still letting you work this case he'll bury me alive. So do me a favor and stay safe? I would love it if you went home and read a book, but I know you. You're too stubborn, like your mum, dad and even aunt. So I won't hold you back, but please know your limits." He told her, kissing her on her forehead before returning to work.

"How do you plan on working without a wand Rose?" Draco asked.

"I'll just have to go muggle." She said shrugging.

'Muggle.'

Then she gasped, as the realization hit her.

She thought back to her conversation that morning with Malfoy, the fake one.

Her kidnapping had been some sort of ruse after all.

She was now pretty sure that no auror team had been deployed to talk to the families of the victims.

Of course Al had checked on the Head quarters lead and on the victims who had been brought in for memory tests, but she was willing to bet that not one auror had gone to investigate the muggles.

Maybe that was the key to this entire thing.

Maybe there was a connection between the victims, one that would lead them to the identity of the person behind this entire operation.

One they desperately wanted to cover up, and were willing to go to any extent to do so.

The excitement must have shown on her face as Draco asked her what was happening.

She told him her suspicions and he agreed to go fetch Albus immediately, after all he was in the vicinity.

"Al!" she greeted as he walked through the ward door, looking extremely concerned.

"Rosie, I can't believe you got kidnapped! Are you ok?" He asked slipping perfectly into his big protective elder brother role.

"I'm fine Al" she said, hugging him back reassuringly.

She then launched into her suspicions.

He looked highly doubtful of its possibility when she was done.

"I don't know Rose… this seems rather far-fetched." He said gently, not wanting to burst her bubble.

"No Al, can't you see! It makes so much sense! Just imagine if you were muggle. Without all the magic getting in the way. What would be the first thing you looked into?" she asked barely containing her excitement.

He stared at her, not able to make anything of the situation.

"Look for a connection of course! It's a serial torturer case Al, which ended in a murder. It's where you would begin; especially given they are all in their early or mid-twenties!" she exclaimed.

But Al still didn't look very convinced. "Rose from what my dad just said you don't even have your wand. I'm not about to let you waltz off to the muggle world on your own to pursue this." He said firmly, asserting his authority.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do Al" she threatened, swinging her legs to the side of the bed, preparing to get up.

"Rose you need to rest, you've not eaten anything, nor have you had a good night's rest since all this began." He said, knowing it was of no use even as he began the sentence.

She was already hobbling to her feet.

He helped her steady herself realizing his warning were futile, she was just that stubborn.

"I'm fine" she said shortly.

"Do you want me to send you any back up?"

"No, I can handle it. Besides I'm just going to be going door to door, it's not like any of them will be willing to talk." She sighed.

"I can help you with that." He admitted grudgingly.

She looked up expectantly.

"I'll manage to get you a fake ID, it'll give you better access." He offered and she squealed in delight, hugging him tight.

"Thank you so much Al! You won't regret this!" she said, bouncing up and down now.

He patted her on her shoulders, nodded to Draco once then apparated away.

"Will you be joining me Mr. Malfoy?" she asked him.

He shook his head."They have requested my presence in the Ministry today; they want to question Scorpius again. And Astoria wants me home early tonight, after all tomorrow is a big day. I hope you don't mind Rose."

"Of course not Mr. Malfoy! Please call me if you need anything, anything at all." She said.

"Likewise Rose." He told her.

"Do you really think that June is involved?" he asked suddenly.

"I never liked her from the beginning to be very honest Mr. Malfoy." She confessed.

He nodded understandingly, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly before leaving.

"Thank you Rose" he said quietly.

"For what Mr. Malfoy?" she asked.

He should know by now that she was in this for good.

"For not giving up." He said gravely.

"_I can't do this. I really can't do this." She said as she saw the stage looming up in front of her. _

_The graduation ceremony had just started for the final years, and as Heads she and Scorpius had to give speeches. _

_The gathering however was quite a large one, including the families of the graduating class as well as all the students and teachers. _

_That coupled with Rose's shy nature, led to immense stage fright. _

_"You'll do fine Rose." Scorpius told her, his arm around her waist tightening._

_ It was her only source of support at the moment, his arm. _

_Without it she either would have fallen flat on her face of would have taken off, running for the hills as fast as she could._

_ But as it were, his arm was now tightly fastened around her waist, as if to say I'm never letting you go._

_ She would have truly appreciated the gesture and might have even realized its significance had she not been so extremely queasy about what was coming._

_ She had practiced that stupid speech that Scorpius had helped her write, oh whom was she kidding, that Scorpius had written, a few dozen times, but it didn't make her feel any less nervous. _

_"Scor… Please." She begged. _

_"Oh Rosie, what will we ever do with you?" he sighed softly. _

_"Ok, when you go up there just pretend we are back in the library, when I helped you write it down. It'll just be you and me, and you can talk to me right?" he said slowly. _

_She shook her head vigorously. _

_"Rose Nymphadora Weasely! Get your arse up there right now and deliver that speech." He commanded, trying a different approach, again to no avail. _

_"Look, do you trust me?" he asked, his expression tender, his eyes smoldering. _

_She nodded; of course she did, implicitly. _

_"Then just do as I say. Go on stage, and start talking. I'll take care of the rest." He told her softly. _

_Well if he put it that way. _

_She went up, her legs trembling. _

_In the soft, flickering glow of the candle light she could see the faces of the crowd partially. _

_She saw her family, her mom smiling encouragingly at her, he dad beaming with pride. _

_She saw Al, sitting right up in front with his friends, joking around. _

_She saw Lily's excited face thrown in the mix, whispering something conspiratorially to Hugo. _

_And then suddenly it was all a haze, she looked around confused when she caught Scorpius' eye. _

_His wand was just out of sight but she knew it was him. _

_He nodded to her, telling her to start. _

_She plucked her courage, staring at the doors directly in front of her as he had advised her to._

_ The entire gathering seemed to have disappeared, leaving the entire great hall empty! _

_This wasn't so bad._

_ So she began, and with a few stutters and stammers, she got through her entire rehearsed speech. _

_It was only with the break out of applause did the audience appear again. _

_It made Rose's knees go weak, but when she saw the smile on her parents' faces and joy on Scorpius' she just beamed back. _

_"Thank you all, once again" she said before leaving the stage to Scorpius. _

_He was a natural charmer, a wonderful orator, drawing laughter and rapt attention from everyone immediately. _

_He spoke beautifully, moving quite a few to tears by the end of his speech. _

_Once again she found herself questioning their friendship._

_ How in the world had this wonderful guy chosen to befriend her? _

_And stick by her through all her moods and phases, not once ditching her? _

_How did he put up with her nonsense day in and day out when he could be having so much better? _

_And he definitely deserved better._

_ It suddenly hit her then._

_ She couldn't do this to him, to their friendship. _

_If she admitted it to him that she loved him she knew exactly what would happen. _

_He wouldn't want to hurt her feelings, so he would try to placate her in some way. _

_He might mistake her love for jealousy and do something as stupid as getting rid of June._

_ All just for her. _

_Because he was that sort of person, so selfless, so giving. _

_She knew he would do anything in his power to make her happy, even if it meant he had to suffer instead. _

_He wouldn't hesitate, or even think twice it. _

_But he would be unhappy. _

_He would never say it out right, but deep inside he would be. _

_And Rose couldn't live with herself knowing that. _

_The guilt would eat her alive. _

_So wouldn't it be better to keep her mouth shut now, than to ruin everything? _

_She fought with herself internally, a war raging between her rational brain and her blinded heart. What would their families say? Friendship with a Malfoy was ok, but anything more? It was unthinkable wasn't it! _

_"You did it Rose! I'm so proud of you" he said, startling her out of her thoughts as he picked her up and twirled her around. She smiled brightly at him as he set her down, knowing her decision was right. _

_"Because of you…" she said simply. _

_"Listen Ro… I need to tell you something…" he said suddenly serious, his hands not leaving her waist. _

_He even looked nervous, somewhat off-kilter. She had never seen him like this and it piqued her curiosity. _

_"Sure Scor, shoot." She said, worried._

_ "Not here, not now." he whispered. _

_"Meet me by the Entrance, after the ceremony is over?" he asked, hesitantly, as though scared she would refuse. _

_"Of course" she told him smiling to ease his mood. _

_"Great." He said, ducking to place a kiss on her forehead before pulling away. _

_"Scor?" _

_"Hmmm?"_

_ "Thank you."_

_ "For what?" _

_"For not giving up on me." She said. _

_He grinned at her, ruffled her hair slightly and ran before she could retaliate. She sighed, trying to smooth down her locks again, wondering what he had to tell her. _

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><p>Words in italics were flashback!<em><br>_

_I'll update soon :)  
><em>

_Please review? :)  
><em>


	21. Chapter 20

So, I got a beta-reader! Thank you sooooo much F3rn for all your help with editing this chapter (and making me pay more attention to detail :P )! :D

Also, thank you all for your reviews, messages and favs :)  
>ENJOY!<p>

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><p>I also wanted to mention, just in case you missed reading it in the previous chapters:<p>

**The victims have been brought in recently, by the auror department, for searching their memories once again, and help them recollect more details of the attack, so as to find concrete proof of the identity of the attacker. **

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><p>Rose walked up the drive way to the quaint cottage that lay on the other side. She reaffirmed the address, before knocking on the door confidently. "Mrs. Pitt?" she asked, when a lady in her mid-forties opened the door. She had on an apron and Rose realized that she was probably barging in on lunch time. She didn't appear as angry as she did tired though.<p>

"Yes?" she snapped, looking annoyed. "If you are another one of those pesky reporters, leave now, before I call the police!" It was obvious to Rose that the poor woman was harassed enough by the whole ordeal. She wore a worn out look on her face, and Rose's heart went out to the woman in front of her. Guilt was bubbling up within her for even considering disturbing her peace, but it had to be done. Gritting her heart and keeping Scorpius in mind to strengthen her resolve, she introduced herself.

"I'm extremely sorry for the inconvenience ma'am, but I am Detective Rachel Warren, with the Police. I have a few questions about your daughter- do you think you could help me out?" she asked, crossing her fingers and praying for the best.

"How is she? Where is she? They won't even let me see her!" the lady cried, clearly in anguish. Being kept in the dark about her daughter's whereabouts for the past 24 hours had caused her a lot of anxiety, especially given the attack a few months before.

"She's alright, Mrs. Pitt; she's in a special centre to help her recover her memory of the night she was attacked faster. We should be discharging her soon, so you can see her." Rose assured, saying as much as she could reveal to ease her pain.

"What have you done to her? The other officers won't even answer my questions!" the woman inquired anxiously. "We're doing our best to help her, Mrs. Pitt. And it is some of the best technology in the world- very safe, trust me. She's not an isolated case, there were similar attacks on other people as well, and we need all the information we can get to catch whoever is behind this. You do want him caught, right?" she asked slowly, as if explaining it to a 5 year old.

Her words seemed to have an effect on the older lady, and she calmed down a bit. "Yes, of course."

"Then do you think you could help me? I just have a few questions," Rose explained.

"Come in, Detective Warren," Mrs. Pitt said resignedly, opening the door wider. Thanking the Scorpius fiasco for building her people skills, Rose entered the house and followed the woman into the living room.

"Did your daughter have any enemies, Mrs. Pitt?" she asked, once they were seated.

"No one that I can think of. She's such a bright girl. Who would do this to her?" the woman answered, apparently still in shock.

"That's what we're trying to find out. Did she have any ex-boyfriends?" Rose suggested.

"Yes, but George wouldn't do such a thing. He's a family friend, they've know each other since they were 10! It's natural they developed feelings for each other- after all they went to school together, too. But when it didn't work out they parted quite amicably. George is a dear. He would never harm her. He would never harm anyone!" Her host insisted earnestly. It was clear to Rose that the woman thought highly of this George, even after her daughter's split from him. He was probably like a second son to her, and if she were to allege anything further against him, she would lose her favour. So she changed her approach, dropping the subject for now.

"Anyone else? A friend perhaps? Someone she met recently?" Rose probed.

"Well she was seeing this boy for a few weeks. A weird chap. There was something about him that I didn't like, he was different …" she trailed off deep in thought. She had a faraway look in her eyes, and Rose presumed she was re-living their meeting.

"Different how?" Rose asked, excited, bringing her back to the present.

"Well, I can't pin-point it, but there was something off about him. But she was quite taken with him. I met him just once though. I think she was still seeing him at the time of her attack." She sighed, clasping her hands to keep them from shaking. She seemed distressed from having to go through this all over again. Thinking about her daughter's attacker was obviously wearing on her nerves. Hating herself for doing this to her, but needing answers as soon as possible, Rose picked up where she had left off.

"Is she still with him?"

"No, of course not! After the attack she changed, became much more reserved, she wouldn't talk to anyone. I called George back to help her out. They aren't back together yet, but they're getting there. He loves her, and he's doing his best to get her back on track. For the first few weeks she refused to even step out of her room! But now she even ventures out to the park in the evenings, with him by her side. She was even considering getting back to work soon. She still isn't her old self, but I can see her coming back," Mrs. Pitt said, tears shining in her blue eyes.

"Do you think you can describe this other guy? What was his name?" Rose asked changing track again. If the victim still trusted George so much it probably wasn't him.

"He was tall, with blond hair. I think his name was Alexander?"

Tall and blond, those words made her heart sink. But she continued. "Do you have a picture, maybe?"

"I'm sorry, I don't. As I said, I never liked the bloke, and I just met him once. After the attack Mel never spoke about him again."

"Thank you Mrs. Pitt." Rose said standing up and collecting her purse. She shook the older woman's hand, happy to have at least some sort of lead to work with.

"I'm glad to be of help, Detective. Please send my daughter home safe," Mrs. Pitt said pleadingly. With a brief nod, Rose turned towards her car, questions spinning in her head.

Who was this Alexander? Was he related to the case or a random coincidence? She went on to the next victim's house, using her car as she couldn't apparate. Not having her wand gave her a feeling of insecurity she couldn't dispel. But she ploughed on anyway, the fact that she was in a muggle locality giving her courage. Her senses were on hyper alert, hoping to prevent what happened the last time.

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><p>"Mrs. Williams, I'm Detective Rachel Warren, I'm here about the attack on your daughter," she repeated at the house of the second victim. Again it looked like a friendly neighborhood, very homey and residential. She couldn't figure out how these people had got mixed up with magic.<p>

Once inside the house she began to question the lady before her the same way she had before.

"I'm sorry Detective Warren, but I can't help you. My daughter didn't have any enemies; she's kept her nose clean." She said tightly. She was much more conservative with her replies compared to Mrs. Pitt, Rose noted. She was definitely more closed up, reserved, as if scared. But, from what she could tell, the woman was telling the truth.

The house like the previous one was that of an ordinary middle-class family. The furnishings were pleasant, covering the bare essentials and nothing more. Everything looked practical, not one article that was extravagant, fancy or out of place. A few photos on the mantel caught her eye, and she hoped that her search here would yield material results.

"Any old boyfriends who would have motive to hurt her?"

"I don't know about old boyfriends, but there was this guy she had just begun dating. I didn't like the sight of him." She said, her face twisting into a look of distrust as she spoke. She obviously suspected this man, whoever he was and Rose was willing to follow her instincts. A mother's intuition wasn't one to be brushed aside so easily.

"What was his name?"

"Arnold… Arnold Silverstone."

"Was he... involved in something, Mrs. Williams?" Rose asked, leaning forward slightly in her seat.

"No, at least I don't think so. He looked pretty decent, but he acted… very different." She said thoughtfully.

Different. There was that word again. To anyone else it would definitely seem strange, something worth pursuing, but to Rose it actually meant something. 'Different' from a muggle's perspective could most certainly refer to a wayward wizard. One who either had no control over or didn't really care about the use of his magic. She was willing to bet it was the latter.

"Can you describe him?" she asked, excitement building in the pit of her stomach. The description was exactly the same. "Would you by any chance have a photo Mrs. Williams?"

"I'm sorry dear, I don't." Mrs. Williams said, dashing Rose's hopes.

She thanked the lady for her help and made her way over to another victim's house, hoping to confirm her little theory and get some sort of clue as to who this guy was. The profile matched Scorpius extremely well, and that's what made things all the more worse. But Rose had hope now, that they would trace this guy down, some way or the other.

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><p>She struck gold at the next house. It was the house of Grace Lionel, one of the girls of the group. On questioning she found out that she was in fact currently dating one of the men in her group when they got attacked. Further, she had been dating a queer guy, one named Adrian Russell before they had a bad break up. The mother of the victim was completely convinced it was him. She had gone out of her way to look for some photographic evidence, and after much looking had surfaced with a snapshot of the young couple in happier times. She tucked the photo safely into her jacket, overjoyed that it wasn't Scorpius staring back at her. Thanking the woman profusely for all her assistance Rose all but skipped to her car, eager to get back to the Ministry and tell her Uncle the developments.<p>

Looking at the photo, she could see the resemblances to Scorpius. The platinum blond hair, glinting gray eyes and sharp chin were extremely prominent traits in both of them. But the differences stood out to her more than the similarities, for which she was grateful. She couldn't recognize the man herself, but she hoped they would be able to get his details and track him down as soon as possible. They needed answers immediately!

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><p>As soon as she entered her car, however, safe from the view of any muggles, she received a patronus. One from an extremely flustered Draco Malfoy, asking her to come to the Ministry immediately. He said one dreaded word that made her realize how bad the situation was. June.<p>

She drove quickly through Muggle London, knowing she could use the toilets to flush herself in. A quick check in her purse made sure she had the required tokens and ID. She only hoped not having a wand wouldn't be a problem.

She ran through the Atrium as fast as she could, dodging angry people on the way, and she reached the Auror Department in record time. Draco looked up to see who had entered and visibly relaxed when he saw it was Rose. That man had to take it easy or he would end up having an anxiety attack.

"Rose!" he said, calling her over to the office where he was sitting with Mr. Davidson. She acknowledged both the gentlemen and asked what had him so frantic. "June just visited Scorpius." he said, causing her to stumble back in shock.

"Why did you let her in?" she asked numbly, clutching on to the desk behind her for some support.

"She barged her way through," Davidson said defensively.

"No. You let her barge her way through in hopes of getting more answers." Draco snarled, his fists clenched.

"Well, did they figure it out?" Rose asked weakly, though she could make a good guess from the way they were reacting.

"Yes." Draco said, defeated.

"Did they realize it was me?" she asked quietly, her heart sinking. He wouldn't speak to her ever again. He wouldn't even want to look at her now.

"I'm not sure... But he told June to leave within minutes. Then he asked for you. He refuses to eat till you go in there," her boss explained.

She was surprised by this bit of information. He wanted to meet her? He surely must have caught their bluff. He was extremely perceptive that way. Is that why he wanted to meet her, to confirm his doubts? Or did he genuinely want to meet her? "Why did he ask her to leave? Did they fight?" she asked, wanting to know all details before she stepped in front of him.

"You could say that. He seemed pretty angry. Not the way he behaved with you." Draco shrugged. "But Azkaban does that to people." he added, shuddering violently from a repressed memory. "Why don't you go find out, Miss Weasley?"

"Yes, sir," she agreed, putting on an act of bravery she wasn't sure she could manage.

Draco escorted her to the cell, whispering quietly before they reached, and sounding quite like his son when he did "Your bravado is not fooling anyone, Rose." She only smiled at him, knowing it was his way of wishing her luck. Then she pulled open the door, praying for the best.

"You came," were words she was greeted with, his voice not laced with any emotion but surprise.

"You called?" she questioned, forcing herself to stay strong. He was seated on the same chair as last time, still bound by ropes. There wasn't any table, however, nor any other furniture she could hide herself behind, away from his all knowing stare. She crossed her arms over her chest defensively as he continued staring at her. He looked worse than he had the last time. She hadn't known that to be possible! Try what she might she would never get this image of him out of her head.

"Don't pity me Weasley. I'm not diseased." he drawled. She snapped her eyes to his to find them hollow, no hope, so lifeless. It scared her to no end, even more than his broken body and sunken face.

"Why did you call? Did you remember any other details?" she asked, quickly finding her footing. It was best to stay behind her professional mask for a while. They were being monitored, after all.

"I... I just wanted to see you." he answered slowly.

"Well you don't get to do that. I'm busy, Malfoy. Working on your case. Saving your arse. So don't blackmail me into coming next time. It won't work." she said. Yup. Professional.

"Don't get so worked up, Weasley. Besides, there won't be a next time. The sentencing will be tomorrow, remember?" he said, laughing humorlessly. She inhaled sharply at his words, her mouth going dry.

She licked her chapped lips to will them to move. "Trial, not sentencing." she corrected, but even to her own ears that sounded weak.

"You don't believe it yourself Rose, how are you going to convince the Wizengamot? Besides, I'm not available to write your speech for tomorrow am I?" he said in that same tone.

"I am not the girl I was in Hogwarts, Malfoy. You don't know what I am capable of. I have changed. You don't know me anymore." she said quietly.

"I agree. The Rose I knew wouldn't have lied to me, wouldn't have cheated me so blatantly, wouldn't have tricked me or taken me for a ride as you have." he said bitterly.

"The Rose you knew died on the day of graduation. You created the monster I am today Scorpius; don't for a minute think otherwise." she bit out.

Inside she was seething with anger. She was spreading herself thin just to help him and he had the cheek to taunt her? She hated the fact that he thought he knew her. Hehad shunned her all those years ago, not the other way around. And by doing that he had lost the right to question her and her methods. He had been the cause of her misery for five whole years, and she had done what she had to, to pick herself up again. So, for him to be pointing a finger at her for that very same reason… She couldn't take it anymore. She was done. She had had enough of this drama, enough of her life revolving around Scorpius Malfoy. She realized that it really was high time she moved on. And yet she still stood waiting in front of him, wanting to hear what he had to say. Her heart, it seemed, wasn't in agreement with her rational mind.

"Look, I didn't ask you here to fight." he said, sounding every bit defeated as she felt. She just looked at him, willing him to continue. He didn't say a word, lost in his own thoughts. She would have liked nothing better than to just sink to the floor but she held her stance. "June came to visit." he said tightly, still that hollow tone. What had they done to him in Azkaban?!

"I heard." she said non-committally.

"It wasn't like the first time... Every second she was here I wished it was you..." he sighed. She looked up from her hand, startled. "Crazy huh? I guess that's what I deserve for pushing you away." he said.

"Well, I'm here now." she said softly.

"Can you silence that listening device please? I don't want them to hear." he requested.

"I wish I could... I lost my wand." she sighed, without thinking.

"It's true?" he asked incredulously.

"What is true?" she countered, once more on her guard, raising her head to meet his eyes once again.

"You were kidnapped?" he asked, sounding almost scared. She nodded her head, unsure what to say. "Are you ok?" There was an almost desperate edge to his tone.

"I am now... Not a big deal, Scor. They just wanted to throw us off track." she said, only then remembering that she hadn't told anyone her suspicions about 'Alexander'. "Hey Scor... Eat something. I need to update Uncle Harry about something." she said. He nodded his head. "Come back?" he enquired. No, he pleaded. She nodded at him, flashing him a brief smile before running out.

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><p><strong>Hope that cleared up a few doubts?<br>Leave a review, please? :)**


	22. Chapter 21

A huge thanks to my beta F3rn once again :)

And to all of you who left a review :D

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><p>Rose ran to the Auror Department yet again and luckily bumped into Harry, who was on his way out. "Rosie, you're ok! I was ready to kill Al for letting you go!" he said, obviously relieved to see her. "I'm fine Uncle Harry... besides, I have news." she answered. They moved to his cabin, calling Draco as well before she started her tale. She told them the whole story as well as her suspicions, and they were impressed by the information she had managed to gather in such short hours. "I'll look into this guy... Alexander, you say?" Harry said thoughtfully.<p>

"Yes, also Adrian Russell and Arnold Silverstone. I have a picture, too. The names are an alias, I'm pretty sure... But that's the guy." She handed over the photo to him.

"Well this makes things a lot easier, Rose. Thank you." Harry said, pocketing the photo.

"I just hope it helps Uncle Harry."

"So what does all this mean Potter? What happens to my son?" Draco asked warily, not ready to give up, but tired all the same.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush Malfoy. All I can say is that it's not looking good. All that we have is speculation, a wild one at that. Hopefully this guy will provide us some answers." he offered tapping the place he had put the photograph. "And if we don't find him?" Draco inquired.

Harry shook his head resolutely. "We will."

"Well, let's get lunch then?" Draco suggested awkwardly.

"I already ate. I'll go run this by the department and Muggle police. You guys carry on, though..." he said, disapparating with a pop.

"I would love to, Mr. Malfoy, but I kind of promised your son I would join him again." she confessed, coloring slightly under his knowing gaze.

"Of course you did. Go on then," he smirked, and so she did, literally fleeing from under his eyes. She picked up a sandwich and made her way back to the cell. The guard knew her by now, and he let her through without any hassle.

"You came back." Scorpius stated in shock.

"And you haven't touched your food." she tsk-ed, her voice playful. He seemed extremely surprised by her change in demeanor but he didn't question it. She settled down on the floor, a few feet away from where he was sitting and opened her lunch. "Go on, eat." she said, taking a bite of the sandwich. "I'm so hungry. I've never been so ravenous." She tried to make light conversation.

"Getting kidnapped does that to people" he quipped sarcastically. "Seriously Rose, I want you to stop your investigation." he said.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Get over yourself Malfoy; I'm not giving up the case." she said dismissively.

"But, who knows what they are capable of Rose? What if something happens to you? Besides, it's not worth it. Whoever is behind it is good. They've framed me well enough, and there is no way they're going to slip up before the final sentencing. I am screwed. There are no two ways about it." he finished resignedly.

"Stop. Just stop, ok. Do you know how many teams have been assigned to this case? Do you know how many people have been working their arses off, day and night in the hope that they can save you? You may have lost hope Scorpius, but we haven't. Your dad, your mum, your grandmother... They all are hoping for the best. So spare me the negativity." she cried, angered by how hopeless he sounded.

"Be frank with me Rose. How many people actually know I am innocent? Or even think I am innocent? They are slogging only for the gold that my father has been shelling out. Nothing else. Even June can't look at me the same way anymore. She is bloody scared of me. My own wife is scared of me!" he yelled in despair, yanking against his bindings.

"That doesn't mean you don't have other supporters... I'm here aren't I? I am willing to risk it all in favor of you winning this case. If not win tomorrow we will at least be able to buy you more time." she insisted.

"More time... I don't want any more time Rose! I don't want to go back to Azkaban! I would prefer death any day Rose, I have nothing worth living for anyway... Death is a far more painless, easy solution. The dementor's kiss? I welcome it... Avada Kedavra is still more acceptable." he said, his voice sending chills down her spine. He must have seen the horror in her face so he changed the topic. "Look, forget I said that. Do you know why I sent June away?" he asked. She shook her head, still reeling from the speech he had just given. He continued talking but she couldn't bear to listen. 'I would prefer death' was still ringing in her ears. 'I have nothing worth living for anyway...' Without knowing it tears escaped her eyes, making a trail down her cheeks. She stared at him in shock. "Rose? Rosie? Can you hear me? What happened?" he asked, struggling with his bindings to get free. It was for naught as they obviously were strong enough to hold him in place. He looked distraught that she was crying and he couldn't do anything to comfort her. "Come on Rose… Don't cry... I didn't mean it ok... It just slipped out." He begged but to no avail. No response. "Hey... You know I can't see you cry. Come on. Stop..." he coerced gently.

She shook herself out of it, drying her tears as she stood. "I have work to do." she said, gathering her food packets as she stood.

He stared at her, not saying a word. She was at the door when he called out to her. "You dropped something." She turned to him questioningly. He nodded at the floor, in the space between them, where she had indeed dropped something. She bent to retrieve it and if anything it only brought back her tears. "What is it?" he asked and she decided to show him. She handed it to him, watching him closely for a reaction. It was the photo of them she had taken from Al the previous day. It had been in her jacket and must have fallen out in her haste. He stared at the photo, almost in awe. A small spark lighting up his deadened face. But soon it faded as he gave it back to her. "Remember that day?" he asked, smiling lightly.

"Of course... How could I forget? Al took this one" she said smiling through her tears.

"Al had just got a new camera and he couldn't stop clicking pictures!" he agreed, laughing fondly at the mention of his other best friend.

"Remember that time we set that niffler into his suitcase" she said, cracking up. "And that match when he was convinced that we had stolen all his quidditch robes!"

"Well you can't blame him- we had!"

"And that time that James released a fake snitch during practice that kept turning into a bird every time you thought you were close to catching it!" Rose giggled.

"That wasn't funny." he scowled which made her laugh more. He looked down at the photo again "I look funny... As though I was constipated." he frowned.

"Maybe you were."

"Hey!" He protested, indignant.

"Ok... Maybe you were hung over?"She suggested, to pacify him.

"Nah. This wasn't during quidditch season." he countered.

"Like quidditch was the only time you got drunk." she snorted.

"Valid point" he consented, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile at her disapproving tone.

"You were such an ass when you were sloshed." she said, smiling despite her words.

"Name one instance I was an ass when drunk." he challenged.

"How many boys did you punch out for trying to kiss me Scor?" she pointed out, laughing.

"That was different. I was protecting your honour." he said. She snorted again

"Maybe I didn't want my honour to be protected?" she teased.

He looked at her with shock. "Name one guy I ruined your chances with." he said, horrified.

"Mark Corner. Remember him?" she asked lightly.

"That Gryffindor prick?"

"He was a very nice boy." she sniffed.

"Oh yeah...?"

"Yeah. And you punched him out after we won the match." she told him.

"7th year?" he asked, trying to remember.

She nodded. "It was our first match of the year."

"Oh! That wonderful party! I was drunk wasn't I" he chuckled.

"You punched him!" she huffed.

"But he had his tongue down your throat, and his hands were wandering!" Scorpius pouted.

"So you do remember." She chided, trying to look stern, but failing dreadfully.

"Yes. Then I remember you threatening to hex me before walking out?" he asked.

"Yeah- and then you proceeded to get even more drunk." she said, her heart constricting as she remembered what came next.

"And then I hooked up with June..." he completed.

It suddenly was too much for her to hear, to relive. "I have to go..." she said awkwardly.

Yet again as she neared the door he stopped her. "I'm sorry about that." he said.

"About Mark? Big deal I wasn't that into him anyway." she said shrugging it off.

"What is he up to now anyway?" he asked.

"He's a Healer."

"Wow. I really am sorry Rose."

"Don't be."

"Sorry for choosing her, over you." Well, there was no fitting response to that, was there? She took one last look at him before she left.

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><p>"How DARE you?!" June shrieked, as soon as she saw Rose.<p>

"I don't understand what you mean. This is my desk, I work here- how does it offend you if I choose to enter?" she asked coolly, not willing to pass up the chance to anger the blonde more.

"That is not what I meant Weasley, and you bloody well know it." she spat, looking murderous.

"I'm afraid I have no clue what you are talking about, so come right out and say it or leave my office. I have things to do." Rose said, sounding bored. Inside she was having kittens! How the hell would she get out of this one? Impersonating someone using polyjuice potion was illegal, and she could get into a lot of trouble for doing so!

"I am talking about you impersonating me in front of my husband!" she shrieked shrilly.

"I did no such thing." Rose maintained resolutely.

"Don't lie to my face Weasley." June screeched, not even bothering to control her temper.

"Do you have any proof before accusing me Rodgers?" Rose asked passively, not betraying a single emotion. She really had learnt from the Malfoys, hadn't she?

"I know you did it Weasley" June literally growled.

"And if I did?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'll report you." June threatened.

Rose let out a laugh at that. "To whom? An auror? Shall I make an appointment for you with my dear cousin Albus then? Or would you like to approach the head of the department? I could ask Uncle Harry to squeeze you into his busy schedule," she said, eyes glittering with mirth. On principle she hated using her family name like this, but desperate situations like this one called for drastic measures. After all, what was family for right?

"You've got some nerve Weasley."

"Don't you forget it!" Rose said evenly, meeting her glare with one of her own.

"You should have shown this side of you more in Hogwarts, maybe he would have fallen for you then." It was a cheap shot, and she knew it.

Rose inhaled sharply at her words, the desire to slap her silly growing more intense by the minute. "That's quite enough. Mrs. Malfoy, this way if you please, before I call security." Rick came to her rescue. June left without another word surprisingly, probably happy with her parting shot. Rose was still hyperventilating, trying to tame her anger.

"Here" he said reappearing with a glass of cold water. Instead of drinking it, she pressed the cold surface of the glass to her forehead and sighed at the comforting contrast in temperature. She sank down into her chair; exhausted was understating things.

"I believe I owe you an apology" Rick said shamefaced, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"You did what you had to." she answered, brushing it off. She wasn't angry. At least, not with him.

"No. I was greedy and selfish, and shit scared Rose. It is absolutely no excuse to do what I did. But I never thought it was true. When I found out it was I flipped." he said.

"Look, it's ok. It's not like you kidnapped me. If anything, you helped in my rescue, from what Uncle Harry said. If you owe anyone an apology it's Mr. Malfoy." she said.

"I already apologized," he said, still looking crest fallen. "Then it's fine." she told him again but he didn't seem very convinced.

"Are you ok, Rose?" he asked sounding sincerely concerned.

"No, I'm not. I won't be till the case is over." she replied frankly. He nodded sympathetically.

"I'm here if you need me." he said, kissing her lightly on the cheek before walking away.

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><p>Please review :)<p> 


	23. Chapter 22

Firstly, Happy New year, guys :D

Thank you all for your reviews, favs and alerts :)

This story now has more reviews than any of my other fics :) So, a huge thanks to all of you, who took time to leave one :)  
>And to all of you who are reading this too :) It means a lot to me!<p>

A huge thanks to my beta F3rn :D for the wonderful job, in record time :)

Note: words in italics are a flashback.

ENJOY!

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><p>It was 5 in the evening, and Rose was extremely jittery. There was nothing she could do now except wait and watch. She was also on edge because she didn't have her wand. In the next 24 hours Scorpius' fate would be sealed, and she had had a major hand in the process to set him free. She just hoped it was enough.<p>

She knew that the case was in extremely capable hands, and that if anyone could win it, it was Mr. Blake. He was as ruthless as they came, and for once, she realized, it was a good thing. All the evidence that they had till now was purely conjecture, guess work. Nothing could make the Wizengamot change their minds unless they found that man in the photo and got a confession out of him. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't bring the muggles to court.

With nothing else on her mind but the case, long repressed memories were rising to the surface, dangerously. Thoughts of Scorpius, moments at school, crazy school quidditch matches and parties, June… they all flitted through her mind, unbidden and unwanted. After having suppressed these feelings, these emotions for almost 5 whole years, and with good reason, their sudden tirade was overwhelming her. She knew that reliving old memories was not in the least helpful, given her predicament. But there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Tired of sitting around with nothing to do, Rose headed out, hoping that a trip to St. Mungos would take her mind off things. If she bumped into Al or made some sort of headway with the case, all the better.

As she walked through the sanitized halls of the hospital though, she felt a strange sense of foreboding. She shivered involuntarily and willed the feeling away. The reek of medicines mingling with the various potions they used left her feeling light headed and nauseas.

"Ma'am, can I help you?" someone called her from behind.

She turned suddenly, in the direction of the voice and the quick motion destabilized her. Her ankle, which had already been sore since the morning, gave way and she crashed to the floor, unceremoniously. Quick strong arms pulled her up and held her steady as she tried regained her bearings.

Only once the room had stopped spinning and the pristine white walls came back into sharper focus, did she dare to raise her head, to meet that of her rescuer. As their eyes met, it took one moment for recognition to flash across her face before she promptly fainted in his arms.

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><p><em>Rose collected her certificate along with the rest of her class and was immediately enveloped by her family, pouring out their praise and blessings. She accepted it graciously, but longed nothing more but to get out of their embrace and see what Scorpius had to say.<em>

_Finally free, after an assault of about half an hour from over-excited relatives, she looked for his blond head, but in the crowd milling around the hall it was hard to spot, even in her high heels. The atmosphere was jubilant and the mood celebratory. She couldn't enjoy any of it however, her mind worrying about what he wanted to tell her. The urgency of his tone had done nothing to calm her, but just thinking of his beaming smile she knew it would be alright._

_She suddenly spotted him, arm entangled with June as they stood by his family. She didn't approach though she knew he wouldn't mind. She didn't want to intrude. Lost in thoughts and excitement bubbling about what was to come, she wandered aimlessly around the Hall, taking it all in for one last time._

_"There you are!" he whispered in her ear suddenly, dragging her by the hand. "I have been looking all over for you!"_

_She giggled at his irritation, but went along with it anyway. They had almost made it out of the hall, before the she-devil in disguise stopped them._

_"Rose! You wouldn't mind if I stole Scorpius away for just a second." June said sweetly, hauling him away before either of them had a say. "I want you to meet my brother, Jake..." Rose heard her tell him, as she maneuvered him away from her._

_She waited by the door, enjoying the warm spring air. Summer was almost upon them, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. He came her way again, a good 20 minutes later and he seemed sort of agitated. "All ok, Scor?" she asked worried._

_He nodded, non-committaly. She let it go and they strolled out into the gardens. He still wasn't saying anything and he looked deep in thought, so she maintained her silence._

_They walked towards their favorite spot, near Hagrid's hut where they had spent so many summer afternoons lazing away. They had even studied there for their OWLs and NEWTs._

_"It's beautiful out here, isn't it" she murmured finally, when the silence became too oppressive. He only nodded; his mind clearly elsewhere. _

_"I'm going to miss this terribly." She said again, trying to start up a conversation. Her curiosity, about what he had to say was at its peak, and she was hoping that he would get to the point once they started talking. "We've had so many great memories here. Remember the time when –"_

_"Stop." his voice was a hoarse whisper._

_She looked up confused into his pale face, glowing in the moonlight, leaning against the tree behind her. He looked conflicted, as though he was fighting an internal war and with every passing minute the expression scared her._

_"I love her Rose. I love her."_

_"I-"_

_"Don't say anything... I just... I love her." he said fervently._

_"What are you trying to say Scor?" she asked her voice shaking. Her whole body was trembling from the effort of holding back tears. And he did nothing to ease her pain._

_"I... We are moving in together." He informed her._

_"Oh... That's great." she said biting her lip to prevent succumbing to her tears._

_"And we would appreciate it, if you don't contact us any longer." He continued in the same strain, as if he hadn't even heard her._

_"What?" she asked, dumbstruck._

_"You heard me, Rose..." his voice was pained, but in her own misery she couldn't hear it._

_"I'm your best friend, you can't do that." she said weakly, not believing it herself._

_"She is my girlfriend and I don't want to lose her Rose. You have to understand." He reasoned calmly._

_"You expect me to understand that my best friend chose a girl over me!" she cried incredulously, her voice rising in her hysteria._

_"Ok, don't understand... Just accept it and move on Rose." he spoke as though he knew. He knew her feelings and he was still doing this._

_"Scorpius," she whispered, not knowing what else to say, her mind reeling from his words._

_"It's over, Rose. I need her in my life and if we keep meeting then she'll leave me." There was a finality about his tone that drove a shard of ice through her broken heart. _

_"She put you up to this!" Rose accused, taking in a sharp breath to calm down and rationalize._

_"Don't go pointing fingers Rose..." he warned._

_"I never liked her, Scor! I always knew she would come between us!"she cried desperately._

_"She's not coming between us, are coming between June and me." His voice was calm, cold, cruel._

_"But- this morning..." she said weakly, the fight out of her. Her tears were flowing freely now._

_"I lied, ok. You had to give that speech, it was the only way," he answered stoically, indifferent to her tears._

_"Why are you doing this?" it was a broken whisper, one he wouldn't have heard had he not been standing so close. _

_"I can't babysit you anymore Rose. I'm done. I need to move on with my life." And with those words he was gone, leaving Rose a sobbing mess behind._

_She had stayed out by the tree a long while, just staring out into the black lake, wondering how things had gone south so fast. It hadn't been until Lily came to find her that she had wiped her tears. She passed them off as her sorrow for leaving school, and though no one believed her, no one questioned her either._

_The next few weeks had been a disastrous repeat of that night._

_Not heeding his word, she had gone back to him, again and again. Her letters returned unopened, her patronuses went unreceived. The floo was blocked off to her, and every time she went to the Manor to visit him she was turned away._

_She persisted though, catching glimpses of him in the ministry, seeing him in social gatherings. Each time he avoided her. Each time she tried in vain to talk to him, reason with him that what he was doing was wrong, unfair._

_"I won't burden you Scor; I'll be unobtrusive, I swear. Just, don't do this. I need you in my life." she had begged._

_"I don't need you in mine."_

_Every time his responses only grew more sharp and he got angrier._

_One day he had lost it. It was a party at the Potter's and Al had invited him over. They were talking when Rose had interrupted. Al didn't know the reason for their fight but he knew there had been a fallout. He left them alone, giving them space to talk it out and reconcile. He knew Rose had deeper feelings for him, than she was willing to admit and if Scorpius stopped being stubborn he would realize his love too._

_The fight had escalated their voices high. He had called her out on all her insecurities and finally, tired of fighting she had succumbed to tears quietly and had heard him out. He had stormed out, leaving her a mess like before. June had sent a scathing look her way before following._

_And after that day the downward spiral of her life had begun._

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><p>She awoke with a start, her head pounding. Again, her sub-conscious had made a fool of her, bringing back painful recollection while she had been most vulnerable. Groaning, she tried to will away the throbbing pain that was pulsing through her head. The acerbic odor, that assaulted her senses, made her aware of the fact that she was, indeed, in a hospital. St. Mungos, she deduced, all this without once opening her eyes. She wanted a few more minutes of peace, to gather her thoughts, before the Healers started fussing over her. She was all too aware of the Healer who had caught her before her faint, and she wasn't yet in a mood to face him.<p>

Her mind wandered back to her worst memory. Looking back now she realized that not once had he apologized. He had just stuck by his decision, forcing it on her as well, but never once in the past 5 years, had he ever said he was sorry. He had had no reason to, she guessed. Until this afternoon, of course. Those words, 'I'm sorry', they gave her an odd sense of closure. Maybe she would be able to put all this behind her and move on, after all.

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><p>It's a bit short, but the next one should be up soon!<p>

Please review :)


	24. Chapter 23

Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/alerted/fav-ed :)

And of course to my beta F3rn! :)

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><p>She opened her eyes slowly only to shut them the next second to block out the brightness. A silent 'nox' was murmured and she was encouraged to open her eyes by that voice.<p>

The voice she hadn't heard for five whole years.

"Hi Rosie." he said, his eyes twinkling, a huge smile on his handsome face. She knew it had been him. It was a mystery she hadn't bumped into him sooner. But it was a big hospital and she had gone out of her way to steer clear of him.

"Mark!" she said, as brilliantly as her voice would permit. She was after all in a hospital, recovering from just having fainted. "How long was I out?" she asked.

"About 15 minutes. Hold still while I check your vitals." He said, going into healer mode. Both of them said nothing as he checked her eyes and other reflexes. She surveyed him, letting her eyes linger over his Healer robes.

Mark Corner.

It was some sort of twisted coincidence that they had been talking about him less than a few hours ago, and here he was, healing her. "So, I still have that effect on you, huh?" he said, bringing her out of the past. He was grinning at her, and she coloured slightly, realizing she had been caught staring.

"What?" she mumbled, looking away, cursing her Weasley genes.

"One glance at me, and you fainted in my arms Rosie." He teased. When she still couldn't look him in the eye, he changed his approach. "Just joking Rose… Merlin! It's been too long!" he said.

"It certainly has." She agreed, training her gaze back on him.

"Are you ok?" he asked looking concerned. Was she still that transparent? Were her emotions so readable?

"Huh?" she asked, intelligently, wishing she could come up with an answer that wasn't monosyllabic.

"Does your head hurt? Any other part of your body?" he inquired.

Oh, he meant physically!

"Um yeah… My ankle is… uh…" she stammered.

"I'll be right back." He said, smiling at her one last time before he left the room.

She looked around the small room, the potion fumes still potent in the still air. Her mind wandered back to Hogwarts again, that fateful 7th year Ravenclaw victory party, that had started the beginning of the end. At that time she had had a crush on him. Nothing compared to what she felt for Scorpius, but still. In an ill-conceived plan, she had decided to make Scorpius jealous by kissing Mark. Though, why she had thought it would work was still a mystery to her. Scorpius had responded in his usual way, pushing him off her and then proceeding to punch him out. Typical protective big brother, not jealous lover.

In his drunken state, he had resorted to physical violence instead of using his wand. Rose, fed up with his behaviour, had stormed out of the party in her anger and had cried herself to sleep. The next morning she had woken up to the news that Scorpius had a new girlfriend… June Rodgers. After that she had never sought Mark out again.

Her face twisted into a bitter smile at the memory, and the irony of the situation they were in. "What's so funny Rose?" Mark asked as he re-entered the room with a few vials in hand.

"Just thinking back, to the good old days…" she said. If Mark heard any bitterness in her voice he didn't comment on it.

"Yeah, I miss Hogwarts. Life was so much easier back then. Homework, quidditch, parties, girls…" he trailed off, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at her. It had the desired effect and she burst out laughing. He took the moment to fix her ankle, the pain of the mending bones catching her off-guard.

"You did that on purpose!" she choked out accusatorily, the pain making her eyes swim with tears.

"I did," he accepted, handing her a few potions to drink. She looked at them apprehensively, before downing them one after another. She made a face at the bitter taste in her mouth, and he offered her a bar of chocolate. "It'll make you feel better." He answered her questioning gaze. Never one to turn down chocolate, she took it, tearing off the wrapper immediately.

"It was nice seeing you again Rose." He said quietly as he watched her devour the bar. He chuckled in amusement as she tried to swallow the large chunk in her mouth before answering.

"Yeah- Mark… Thanks."

"No problem, Rosie. But you're making a habit of this, aren't you? Admitted twice in one day?" he asked curious. He must have read her charts.

"Umm, yeah… I was working on a case and…" she explained, praying he wouldn't question any further.

"Oh, the Scorpius Malfoy one?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said tightly. It was clear she didn't want to say any further on the topic, but he pressed on, not taking the hint.

"Wow, you're defending him aren't you… after all that he did?" he said, giving her a knowing look. He certainly wasn't referring to the murder he was accused of, either.

"He's innocent," she replied coldly.

Mark gave her a disbelieving look but she met his gaze unwavering, head held high. "You were always close, I'll give you that much. But that guy was bloody violent. I don't fancy another right hook from him after that day." Mark said, relenting.

She giggled despite herself, and he scowled. "He got you that day, didn't he," she remarked, smiling.

He grudgingly agreed. "Yeah… But he more than made up for it. He was so drunk I don't think he even realized what he was doing. He kept mumbling something about green monsters and bravery. Then he came and apologized to me, over and over again till I forgave him. Then he dragged me to drink with him and his group of friends. He was in a foul mood after you left though, and he kept moping around. Longbottom kept telling him to cheer up; after all, you had just won the match…" Mark recollected shaking his head in amazed disbelief at the event that had happened so long ago.

This was all news to Rose, as no one else from her friend circle remembered anything that had occurred while in their firewhiskey induced haze. "Really? Then what happened?" she asked curiously.

"Umm… I'm not too sure… there were a lot of games and as I said… a lot of girls. Alice (Longbottom) was with us too, and I remember dancing with her." He said running his memory. "And then Josephine came up, drink in hand." "June…" Rose corrected. "Er- right, June… she handed him the drink and said she could cheer him up if he let her. Being the man-slag that he was he didn't pass up the opportunity, though I think at first he made a huge fuss and refused…. She brought her two friends too… Haylie and Olivia? Well it was a good night after that. You Ravenclaws sure knew how to party it up!" he said grinning at the memory.

Rose lapped up the information greedily. "Yeah… Those were the days," she agreed politely.

"So is there a reason you were at the hospital, Rose?" he asked. "Because when I found you, you seemed quite lost."

"Yeah, I came to visit one of the victims of the case. I was looking around for Albus actually." She said, getting back to business.

"I saw him recently- shall I bring him here?" Mark inquired, eager to help.

"No! Please… He'll send me home. I'll take care of it," She insisted, springing off the bed.

"Well, you do need to rest, Rose. Your ankle won't heal properly otherwise," he told her.

"I know, I just have this one thing to do, and then I'm heading straight home," she said, using her charming smile and full blown puppy-dog eyes on him. It worked like a charm, and he succumbed immediately, grinning at her and giving her the all clear. She thanked him again and made to leave when he stopped her.

"If you need anything else don't hesitate to ask, Rose. I'm here for you." He told her seriously. She gave a mental snort, before smiling nervously and biting her lip. "Well there was one thing…" she trailed off, head bent but maintaining eye-contact. "Actually, you know what, forget it. It's probably too much to ask… and I don't want to get you into any trouble. Thanks for everything, Mark," she said softly.

"No Rose, tell me. Anything, it's not a big deal. I'm in such a position here that it really won't be a problem," he said, smiling encouragingly. "Umm well…" she began hesitantly. "Tell me." he said again, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Well, I just wanted to see June Rodger's file… She was pregnant the last time I saw her and now she isn't. She claims she miscarried, but…"

"You think otherwise." Mark completed, his eyebrows furrowed. She nodded.

"It's of relevance to the case, and I think it's really important. If I could get my hands on it…" she said. "Forget it Mark… It's too risky." She back tracked. "It was really nice seeing you again. Forget I asked. And thank you, once again" she said.

She walked out of the door slowly, letting her shoulders droop ever so slightly in a defeated stance.

Three… Two… One... She counted mentally.

"Wait- Rose!" like clockwork.

Smothering her grin, and switching back into her demure, innocent expression, she turned to face him, wide eyed. "I can't promise anything, but I'll try my best." He said.

"Oh thank you, Mark! It would mean so much to me!" she cried, hugging him tightly.

Stunned by her sudden hug he patted her awkwardly till she let go. "No problem…" he said again. She gave him her address for him to send the papers, and left to find the victims, a broad grin gracing her features.

"Nice to see you smile." Al said as she entered the ward. "We have made quite some progress on the case… And I may soon have tangible proof that June is a bitch." She said happily, making him laugh.

"Came to talk to the victims?" he asked.

"Yeah… Did it yield anything?" she asked hopefully. "No…" he sighed "But you can go ahead and talk to them. Don't agitate them though." He warned. She rolled her eyes at his advise but proceeded slowly all the same.

She went over to the woman in the first bed. "Grace?" she asked, recognizing her from the photo. "Yes?" she asked warily. "I'm detective Rachel Warren, I had a few questions about your ex-boyfriend." She started. "I promise I won't take much of your time." She added when Grace stifled a yawn. The girl looked beaten down, caused by the tests no doubt.

"You want to know about Adrian?" she asked puzzled. "Yes, I do. Why did you break up?" Rose asked.

"Excuse me? I'm sorry detective, but that's personal. I don't need to answer that." She shot back, immediately on the defensive. Whatever little colour her face had gained immediately drained out at the interrogation. Rose realized she should have eased into it, but it was too late now to back track.

"I'm sorry" she apologized immediately. "It's just that he might be the one who carried out the attack… He's a suspect and we are trying to track him down. We were hoping you would be able to help us." She explained.

"It wasn't him. From the flashes I remember from that night, it wasn't him." Grace said, a frown marring her features. "The description your boyfriend gave fits his profile Grace." Rose explained.

"Pete's just jealous." She said obstinately. Rose felt her heart sink with every word.

"Alright, so do you think you could give me a description then?" she asked, her heart pounding.

"It was too dark to see anything," the girl maintained.

"Well, then how do you know it wasn't Adrian?" Rose questioned.

"I just know!" Grace declared, now sitting straight up.

"You can't just know! The similarity is ridiculous, and-" Rose cried exasperated at the girl's stubbornness.

"That's quite enough, detective."Al cut her off hastily. "Miss Lionel needs her rest now. Please step outside." He ordered authoritatively, the auror in him rising to the surface. Rose cursed mentally, knowing she had overstepped her limits.

She reigned in her anger and frustration, knowing it wouldn't do her any good to aggravate Al any further. She left the room fuming quietly, and waited outside the ward as he had requested, while he spoke to Grace, calming her down. Once he ensured everything was in proper order he turned to her.

It wasn't anger or irritation she detected in his manner though, it was pity. "Go home, Rose." He sighed, shutting the door behind him.

"Don't you dare pull me off the case Albus- firstly you have no authority. Secondly, it's a matter of his life. I need to do this." She said urgency filling her tone, replacing conviction.

"I know Rosie, I know." He said sadly, pulling her into a hug. She held on to him for dear life, for the first time in six months giving into her fear. She was terrified of the court session that the next day would bring. And in Al's protective embrace she realized she wasn't alone. He was Scorpius' best mate too after all. If anyone understood, it was him.

"Look, I know that you need answers, but harassing victims isn't the way, Rose. You've done the best you could…" he murmured into her hair. She pulled away from him, renewed fire blazing through her veins.

"I've not, Al, not even close. I would have done my best only after I save his head tomorrow," she vowed.

"Rose… Rosie." He was pleading now. She looked up at him, her stance unwavering, but ready to hear him out all the same.

"Listen to me. You have done extremely well; especially considering it's your first real case. You have put your safety on the line in order to extract some evidence to help prove him innocent. It's late Rose, you don't have a wand, you're not well, and you've not had enough rest. Don't… let me finish", he said, gentle but firm, when she tried to interrupt. "You can't function like this much longer, and you need to be strong for tomorrow. If not for yourself then for him, for Mr. Malfoy." Al said softly. "So I need you to go home and get some sleep. We'll take care of things down here. My dad has about 6 teams out, following leads that you have given us." He smiled.

"But-" she began to protest.

"No buts, Rosie. Please, go home," he said again.

"Fine." She relented. "But floo me if there is anything I can do."

"Will do," He promised, relieved. "I'll walk you to the fireplace," he offered, falling into step beside her. Just as she was about to step into the green flames however, an out of breath Mark Corner called her attention, and he was carrying a file. June Rodger's medical file. Heart pounding with anticipation, she stopped and waited.

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><p>*Evil Grin* :D<p>

Don't kill me :P

Keep the guesses coming :) and please review!


	25. Chapter 24

**I know I disappeared, I really am sorry. I took an internship, and things have been absolutely crazy ever since! **

**To all of you who have stuck with this story, thank you so much :) This one is for you guys!**

**Thanks for all the reviews, messages, alerts and favs :)**

**I can't promise anything about the next update, but it should hope fully be soon. I have quite a bit written out, it's only a matter of getting the end set up. So without further ado, on with the story...**

**ENJOY!**

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><p><strong>Recap:<strong>

"No buts, Rosie. Please, go home," he said again.

"Fine." She relented. "But floo me if there is anything I can do."

"Will do," He promised, relieved. "I'll walk you to the fireplace," he offered, falling into step beside her. Just as she was about to step into the green flames however, an out of breath Mark Corner called her attention, and he was carrying a file. June Rodger's medical file. Heart pounding with anticipation, she stopped and waited.

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><p>"She was never pregnant!" Rose stated before Mark could.<p>

The look of utmost shock on her face told Al all that he needed to know. "Who told you she was?" Al asked her, prying the file slowly out of her numb hands.

"Scorpius… I- He- But…" Rose said incoherently, trying to put the pieces together. "So she lied to him?" Al asked catching on quickly. "But why?" Mark pitched in, now intrigued.

"I have to go. Thank you for this Mark." She said hurriedly, stepping into the fire and disappearing before Al could stop her.

Rose sank down onto her couch, deep in thought. Despite what Al might have concluded from her sudden departure, she had actually taken his advice and gone back home. A lot had happened over the past few hours and she had to try and sort through everything.

It was like a puzzle, one of those thousand piece ones, which take ages to put together. And then, when everything seems to be coming together nicely, a few pieces go missing. Those exact few pieces which make seeing the entire picture impossible. You only get a glimpse, teeter on the edge of discovery, till it reaches frustrating levels. That's exactly where she was at the moment, on the edge, they all were. The pieces were there, but she didn't know where and how they fit together.

Given her personal prejudice with June, she was scared that she was trying to mix two separate puzzles altogether. Were the two related, or was it merely a coincidence? Was she reading too much into the situation or was June really behind everything? It sounded pretty far-fetched, she had no motive, for one, and though the girl was from Slytherin, she was nowhere clever enough to pull off such a con.

But that was the point, wasn't it; it hadn't been done with precision. It was a shoddy job, sure they hadn't been caught yet, but the effort to hide was almost amateurish. Which was what was sending her into such a tizzy.

Rose Weasley was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She didn't know whether to ponder over the trial and find the actual killer, or brood over June and her lies.

June Rodgers kept popping into her mind, unbidden, unwanted, taunting her with the past, the last 5 years of their lives. Back in Hogwarts, Rose had never paid any attention to the girl. She had been just another classmate, an inconsequential character in her life, which had revolved around a blond haired boy. She had had tremendous promise, being a brilliant student, if only a little shy.

But, when June had swept in and taken away her pillar, Rose had crumbled. Their roles had gotten reversed, June taking the mantle in Scorpius' heart, in an absolute instant, and displacing Rose from his heart and then his life altogether.

Rose had fought these demons before, but had ultimately failed miserably. Which is why, once Lily and Al had put her back on track, the first thing she had done, was to shove all their memories into a little corner at the back of her mind, never to be opened again.

With such a horrible history with June, it was no wonder, that when the past came rushing back, her animosity towards the girl came forth tenfold, and coupled with her lies, so did suspicion. She couldn't help but feel June was somehow involved in the fiasco.

But her rational mind told her that she was being absolutely illogical in her jealousy, that June was as affected as Rose, if not more. But the little nugget of information, that she had just gathered, kept coming back to haunt her.

June wasn't pregnant, she never had been.

But, she had lied to Scorpius, bringing a baby into the picture.

Rose's first conclusion was that she had done it to save a failing relationship. Scorpius would never get someone pregnant and leave them, especially not his wife. As this theory began its formation in her head, and it took root, she couldn't shake it off.

The more she thought about it, and took into consideration his recent behaviour, the more it made sense.

The more she thought about it, the more she yearned for it to be true.

She knew she was setting herself up for a fall yet again, one as bad as last time, if not worse. She had purposely cut off men from her life, for a while now. She had never had a relationship, a proper one, ever. Afraid of the consequences, if at all, it failed. If she was honest, she had never been an optimist. So, now wasn't any time to start having hope.

But it still flickered, against all reason, deep in her heart, the part where _he_ had rested, all these years.

She knew she had to speak to June about this, but all she could think about was Scorpius.

He had the right to know. She had no business telling him, but he had the right to know. Her mind made up, she walked towards the fire yet again, wishing for the best.

"I need to meet Malfoy." She demanded, as soon as she reached her office.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that." Elizabeth Greene informed her.

"You don't understand. This is important!" Rose cried, desperate now.

"It won't make a difference to the case Miss Weasley, whether you speak to him now or tomorrow morning." Greene dismissed, not looking up from the paperwork in front of her.

"It might." She pleaded.

"What do you need to ask him about?" Greene asked, finally looking away from the folder in her hand to see Rose.

"About… It's just-" Rose fumbled, not wanting to announce to her employer the actual reason. This was between June and Scorpius, and she had no right making their issues public.

"What's in the file?" Greene asked, changing tracks.

"It's what I need to talk to him about." Rose said, clutching the file tighter, sub-consciously.

Greene narrowed her eyes in suspicion, and Rose could tell that the curiosity was killing her. "I will just take 10 minutes." She bargained.

"So, it's a personal issue then?" she asked, clearly disapproving of it. Rose didn't reply, her silence telling her all she needed to know. "Then I can't allow it." She stated firmly.

"Miss Greene, I have done so much for this case. You can't deny me this one thing." Rose argued, matching her tone.

The woman just surveyed her warily, weighing her options carefully before announcing her decision. Rose just stared her down, obstinately, not bowing under pressure. Having realized that Rose would probably disobey her anyway, she gave her consent with a curt nod. Rose literally jumped with joy at her small victory, and ran out of the office.

"Ten minutes!" she heard Greene call after her exasperatedly.

"Is he awake?" she asked the guards outside his enclosure, slowing her pace as she neared them. The men just shrugged, letting her pass once she flashed her ID.

One of them banged on the door, yelling for him to get up, and that he had a visitor. Not hearing a response from within, the guard banged again, louder this time. He got a string of colourful words from Scorpius in return, which made him clutch his wand tighter, turning his knuckles white.

Rose laid a calming, restraining arm on the man, hoping he would cool down. She didn't need a fight on her hands right now; her plate was full as it was.

"His trial is tomorrow." She explained softly, but his stance didn't waver. "He's innocent, but there is no proof of it. He's tired, he's scared." She continued. "Please, let it go. Just let me through." She pleaded. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, he withdrew, taking deep calming breaths.

"I'll do it for you, miss. You seem to be the only one who believes him though." The guard said, still angry.

"Thank you." She whispered, nodding to the other one and walking into the room.

"Get lost." Were the words that greeted her as she slipped into the dark room. Though better than the dungeons they had been holding him in, this room was still a prison. And apparently prisoners didn't have the right to light.

Rose fought back her indignation at their system, and addressed the more important issue. "It's me." she whispered, though she wasn't sure why.

"I don't need your pity." He bit out, his voice hoarse.

"That's not what brought me here." She told him evenly, her words not betraying her fear. The hard edge to his words was worrying her, and did nothing to alleviate her trepidation for what was coming in the trial.

"I don't care." He was now yelling.

"Scorpius, calm down." She pleaded. Her voice shook, for the first time letting him know how scared she was, of him.

His silence was her answer and she decided to tell him. "June was never pregnant" she blurted.

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, however, she regretted it. He wasn't in a proper frame of mind, and he definitely didn't need to hear allegations against his wife. Not now. Not a few hours before his trial. But it was done, and there was nothing she could say or do to change it.

He remained quiet for a long while, and she didn't dare coax a response out of him. She realized that he needed time to process it, forget accepting it.

When he spoke his voice came out hoarse and scratchy "How do you know?"

"I got access to her medical file." She answered softly. When he didn't say anything further, she ventured with a question of her own. "Were you having problems, Scor?" she asked tentatively.

She shut her eyes, half expecting him to tell her to go to hell. But, what he said threw her completely. "I… I don't remember" he said, sounding like a scared child. "Rose, I don't remember!" he said panicking, suddenly, rattling his bindings in his hysteria.

His entire body was shaking, the chains making an ominous racket in the small room. She stood her ground though, refusing to listen to her mind and run. She watched helplessly as he fell to pieces in front of her.

Her conscience was a sharp knife through her heart, knowing she was partly responsible for his agony. Questions plagued her, but she couldn't find the courage to voice them anymore. The guards barged in on them, hearing the din, and they pushed past her, to try and subdue him. She let them, staring numbly at the proceedings. The day had taken its toll on her, and she could only pray for strength to get through this ordeal.

It was the red light that filled the room suddenly, from the guard's wand, which snapped her into action. "Reverse the spell." She ordered immediately, taking in his limp form. The wardens were apprehensive, but they had no choice but to do as she said.

With one final look, they exited, leaving the two of them alone again.

"Scorpius?" she called out, not hearing a sound from him. "Are you ok?" she asked, approaching him carefully, still in the dark.

His labored breathing was the only response. "What did you mean by you don't remember?" she asked. When he still didn't say a word, she changed tactic "What do you remember?"

"Scorpius I need to know." She said, her voice quivering. She stilled her shaking hands by crossing them protectively around her chest, effectively hugging herself. "Scorpius, help me out her. Were you having problems with your wife? Were you planning on leaving her? Is that why she claimed she was pregnant, though she wasn't?" Rose asked bluntly.

She knelt by his side, moving closer to him than she was comfortable, and looked up at him, trying to coax out a response. With a shaky breath, she placed a comforting palm on his back. He stiffened at her touch, but eased into it in seconds, and his ragged breathing finally calmed. He was hunched over on the chair, his hands covering his face as he tried to get a grip over himself.

She sat with him, trying to give him time, not letting her impatience get the best of her. When he finally looked up to meet her eyes, she could see how wild they were, even in the darkness.

He was confused and scared, and all she had done was made it worse.

"You've got to believe me Rose, I don't remember anything." He pleaded.

"This might be a good thing Scorpius. We may be able to prove that you were under someone else's control. That you didn't act on your own free will. And that it was that someone who wiped your memory clean." She thought out loud, her mind running miles ahead with the possibilities.

"How?" he whispered, hopelessly. "They tested me for potions and spells; they even tested me for muggle drugs. The found nothing." He said bitterly.

"What is the last thing you remember Scor? You said that you remember getting ready for work that day. How can you not recollect whether or not your marriage was falling through?" she pressed on, hoping to finally get some answers.

"It's all in fragments; I don't know what's real and what isn't anymore." He murmured.

She felt extremely sorry for him at that moment. She couldn't even imagine the pain he must be going through, or how he was going to keep a straight face at the trial tomorrow.

The true weight, of what they were actually dealing with, hit her at that moment, and made everything that much more real. She slipped her hand through his, trying to offer what little comfort she could. He let her, neither pulling away nor acknowledging it.

A bang on the door brought them back to reality.

She stood up shakily, and backed away from him, as the door opened to reveal Elizabeth, wand held high. They cringed more from the look on her face, than the light flooding the room.

"I said 10 minutes, Miss Weasley." she stated, barely containing her anger.

Rose didn't say a word, still trying to process what was happening. She left quietly, without another backward glance a Scorpius.

However, she could feel his piercing stare on her back, long after she had left the room.

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><p><strong>This chapter was not beta read, so I'm sorry for the grammaticalspelling errors you may have encountered. I shall fix them as soon as time permits :)**

**Please do Review :)**


	26. Chapter 25

Again, this has not been beta-ed. I should hopefully get around to editing it soon. Until then, bear with me :)

A huge thanks to all of you who are still following this story (despite my loooong break!), for all your support! The reviews, alerts and favs made me so happy :D

ENJOY!

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><p><strong>Recap:<strong>

**A bang on the door brought them back to reality.**

**She stood up shakily, and backed away from Scorpius, as the door opened to reveal Elizabeth, wand held high. They cringed more from the look on her face, than the light flooding the room.**

** "I said 10 minutes, Miss Weasley." she stated, barely containing her anger.**

**Rose didn't say a word, still trying to process what was happening. She left quietly, without another backward glance a Scorpius.**

**However, she could feel his piercing stare on her back, long after she had left the room.**

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><p>Once in her office, Greene started demanding answers.<p>

"What was in that file?" she started, rounding on Rose immediately after the door was shut. A silencing charm ensured that no one would be able to hear their discussion.

Rose didn't answer her; instead she voiced what she had just learned. "Someone has messed with his memory. He knows what he did that morning, but doesn't remember important details about his marriage." Rose informed her hurriedly. "Do you have any idea what could cause that?" she asked, both excited and curious.

Greene frowned, never having come across such a case before in all her years of experience. She shook her head, unconvinced. "Miss Weasley, it would do good to keep in mind that we are dealing with a man who has been accused of torture and murder here." She dismissed with a clipped tone.

"One who is innocent, and whom we are supposedly defending!" Rose shot back, appalled by her boss' attitude.

"I know you have a past Rose; it's the reason Mr. Malfoy pushed so hard to keep you on the case. Don't let him influence you." She warned.

Rose reigned in her anger, and counted to ten inside her head before answering. "I believe him Miss Greene. I also know that this may help us get some more time, if not win the case. So if I were you I would notify Mr. Blake as soon as possible." She said, standing up to leave.

When Greene didn't respond she walked out, her heels clacking on the hard floor.

She knew she had broken the case wide open now. It had given everyone a lot to think about. But she also knew it wasn't her job to find the person responsible for this mess. It was only to buy Scorpius more time.

And she planned on doing just that.

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><p>Ginny Potter was extremely surprised to see her niece surface from their floo, unannounced, nearing 11 in the night. Especially because her husband and son had spent the better part of the last hour, scouring the floo network, in search of her. She welcomed her in all the same, placing a big mug of the hot chocolate she had just brewed in her hands, before pointing her in the direction of Harry's study. "He's been in there since he got back." She complained, shaking her head, clearly disapproving of his workaholic ways.<p>

She then settled back onto the sofa, delving into the paper she had been perusing before Rose had appeared.

"What are you reading, Aunt Ginny?" Rose asked, placing the steaming mug on the center table.

"The muggle newspaper, dear. It has an interview with Caroline Pierce's mother. The trial is in muggle news too. Only they imagine it happening in Muggle courts, not in front of the Wizengamot. The muggles are screaming for Scorpius Malfoy's death. They believe him guilty too." she answered, watching Rose's face closely, for her reaction.

Rose wasn't too surprised by this, given how Grace had reacted earlier that evening. "It's a great system the Minister has developed for maintaining the Statue of Secrecy." Rose quipped, not wanting to give anything away to her shrewd aunt.

"Yes, it is." Ginny agreed, smiling at her young niece. She was extremely obvious at times, especially when it came to a particular blond.

"What does the interview say?" Rose enquired softly, wondering what must be running through the mind of the mother of that unfortunate girl.

"Just talks about how she wants justice for her daughter." Ginny summarized.

"What about Scorpius?" Rose asked, not wanting to hear the words, but needing to know all the same. She rested her mug on the counter and pressed her palms together, in hopes of stopping them from shaking. If Ginny noticed the action, she ignored it, diving behind the newspaper once more to find the information she sought.

"'Just because he is from a powerful family, doesn't mean he can get away with anything. He tortured people, he killed my daughter. Money can't buy him out of that.'" Ginny read out, from the article. Rose fought hard to keep her impassive mask in place as she listened. "Are you ok, Rosie?" Ginny asked, concerned, as she folded the paper and put it away. Rose nodded her head mechanically, and offered her aunt a weak smile.

"I need to talk to Uncle Harry, now. Thanks for the drink." she murmured quickly, brushing past the older woman, before she could say another word. And all Ginny could do was watch her go.

"Uncle Harry?" Rose called out, opening the door hesitantly.

"Come in, Rose. I was expecting you." He answered, without looking up from his paper work. She sat down on the chair opposite him, sipping on the hot chocolate as she waited for him to surface.

When Harry finally looked up, he had a defeated expression on his face. He looked extremely tired, and Rose immediately felt bad. She knew he had doubled his efforts on this particular case, just because of the people involved.

He rubbed his palms over his face once, and leaned back in his chair, studying her.

She didn't speak, though she was bursting with information, giving him the time he obviously needed. "Your mother should be here soon, we can start once she arrives." He said, resting his head, and shutting his eyes.

Rose followed his example, sinking into a more comfortable position, taking strength from the fact that her mum would soon be by her side. If anyone could understand these circumstances and provide even a slight solution, it was Hermione Granger.

"When was the last you saw Draco Malfoy, Rose?" he asked, not stirring from his position.

"When I left your office this afternoon." She answered, thinking back on the long day she had had. "Why?" she ventured, curious as to why he would want to know such a trivial detail.

"I have known Draco Malfoy a long time now, Rosie. And the one thing I've learnt is that it is important to keep tabs on him. The man won't stop at anything to get what he wants. And though, I'm sure he's above any foul play, underhanded means can't be ruled out." He answered grimly, with just a tinge of amusement to his voice. "The point, here however, is that I'm banking on that, to pull us out of this rut, this time." He admitted ruefully.

Rose let out a laugh at his confession.

"I admit you do have a point there." Hermione said, entering the room with her own mug in hand. She gave Rose a one armed hug before joining them at the desk. Before she could begin, Albus walked in too, followed by Ginny.

"Quite a party here isn't it?" her aunt said smiling, as she secured the room. Reminds me of the order, back when we weren't allowed to attend the meeting." She continued, with Harry and Hermione nodding along, small smiles on their faces.

"I remember that time when" she began, but Albus quickly interrupted, before they went down memory lane and got lost. "Let's focus, please!" he said, calling them all back to attention. The three adults hastened to follow, while Rose just laughed and took a gulp of her hot chocolate.

"Of course, we should." Hermione said, jumping into business mode.

"What brings you all here?" Ginny asked, as she pulled up a chair and joined the circle. Al was too wired up to take a seat, so he continued standing, staring out of the window behind his father's desk.

"Malfoy." Harry stated succinctly. Ginny gave him a knowing nod, asking them to continue.

"Mum, do you know of anything, muggle or magic, which can make a person forget everything but remember specific details?" Rose started, addressing Hermione, because if anyone could come across bizarre facts and remember them, it was her.

"I don't think the muggles have such medicines... It could be a potion, but I would have to" "Go to the library." Harry completed for her. "We know Mione... There's no time for that now." Harry said as she huffed in annoyance. "We need to work with what we know. So if you can think of anything, that would be great." He declared.

"Can't it be a spell?" Ginny asked, curious.

"We looked for all traces of spells and dark magic. Didn't yield anything." he replied, going over his notes once again. "What do you think, Al?" he asked his son.

"I know he's innocent." Al said stoically. "Why are you looking for such a specific potion, Rosie?" he questioned, turning to face her.

"I went to meet him, after Mungos." she told Al. Then she narrated the entire episode, from receiving June's medical records till present. They listened in silence, waiting till the end to make any observations.

When she was done, Ginny got up to refill her mug, obviously feeling sorry for the girl. She had gone through enough in the past few years... She really didn't need this rehash now. Hermione put an arm around her, to show her support, while Harry revisited his papers. Al continued to stare into the night, trying to draw inspiration from the stars, perhaps.

"I can't provide any further insight on this matter, Rose. However, my team did come up with leads about the man in the photo you provided." Harry said, frowning as he shuffled through the file in front of him. Rose immediately sat up straighter, as did Hermione, and Al managed to drag himself away from the scenery outside, to sit on the arm rest of Rose's seat.

"Do you know who it is?" she asked expectantly.

"No, I'm sorry we don't. It was a muggle photograph and there was only so much we could gather from it. We did get an address, though. A raid proved to be another dead end, as the place was uninhabited, for what seemed like about a month." Harry told them.

"Was it a muggle dwelling?" Rose asked, swallowing down her disappointment at another dead end.

"No, he is very much a wizard. We found floo powder residue, and traces of polyjuice. The rest was wiped clean though. No sign of any spells being cast, any potions being brewed. Just a normal, muggle household." Harry concluded.

"Who was it registered to?" Al questioned. "One of the aliases, Adrian something." Harry answered, nodding to Rose.

"How did you find out all this?" Al enquired, looking at Rose befuddled. "All thanks to you, Al. That fake id was brilliant!" she grinned. "So you actually went from door to door?" Al asked incredulously. "She did. And this is what she brought to show for it." Harry said proudly, showing the picture to Hermione and Al.

Hermione merely looked at it and passed it on, but Al held onto it, a few seconds longer, trying to jog his memory. "I've seen this bloke somewhere..." he whispered, almost shocked by the prospect.

"He looks a lot like Scorpius, Al. I felt the same way at first." Rose dismissed. After all the nonsense that had plagued them through the case, it couldn't be someone they knew. That would just be a cruel twist of fate, wouldn't it?

"No joke, Rosie. It's not Scorpius this reminds me of. I've definitely seen this guy. I only can't remember where." He said running a hand through his already unruly hair, in frustration.

"I might have a hunch though... I'll be right back!" he said, disapparating with a crack, leaving them all hanging.

Rose let out a frustrated sigh at his disappearance, which was mirrored by Harry.

Hermione however had an amused look on her face. "Wipe that smile off Mione, he gets that from you." Harry groaned.

And they waited for his return, silence enveloping them as the night wore on.

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><p><strong>Please leave a Review :) Let me know your thoughts! :D<strong>


	27. Chapter 26

**Thank you all so much for the brilliant Reviews :D Do keep the guesses coming, though this chapter is a dead give-away :)**

**As I've mentioned before, this is my first time attempting this genre. So I apologize if anything seems out of place. Please feel free to correct me, and question my story, for I've been staring at it too long, and it seems extremely obvious to me. **

**Again, this is un-beta-ed. I will edit it, soon, hopefully! Bear with me till then, please. Constructive criticism is always appreciated :)**

**On with the story then! **

**ENJOY!**

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><p><strong>Recap:<strong>

**"No joke, Rosie. It's not Scorpius this reminds me of. I've definitely seen this guy. I only can't remember where." Al said running a hand through his already unruly hair, in frustration.**

**"I might have a hunch though... I'll be right back!" he said, disapparating with a crack, leaving them all hanging.**

**Rose let out a frustrated sigh at his disappearance, which was mirrored by Harry.**

**Hermione however had an amused look on her face. "Wipe that smile off Mione, he gets that from you." Harry groaned.**

**And they waited for his return, silence enveloping them as the night wore on.**

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><p>Rose let out a frustrated sigh at Al's disappearance, which was mirrored by Harry. Hermione however had an amused look on her face. "Wipe that smile off Mione, he gets that from you." Harry groaned, too used to being left in the dark with Ron, while she raced off to the library to do her research.<p>

The suspense was killing Rose. She was trying not to get her hopes too high, but as was usual with this case, every emotion of hers was off kilter. The atmosphere was tense as they waited for his return, and luckily they didn't have to, for too long.

He was back within minutes, bringing back a huge carton of photographs with him.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on, Al?" Harry asked, as his son began emptying old photographs onto his carpeted floor.

"I told you, I know I have seen him somewhere. I don't know why, but I connected him with dress robes. So these are all the photos I have clicked since I was 11 at fancy parties. Or any occasion really, where people are dressed up. If you guys help, I'm sure we can sort through these faster." he explained, now on his knees as he flipped through the pictures he could lay his hands on.

"I'll make it easier, hold on." Hermione offered, willing to oblige him. With some fine wand work, she was able to sieve out only those photos which had blond men in them. That reduced the pile to almost half.

Grateful for having his talented best friend by his side, Harry got up from his desk at last, pushing aside his papers to help his son in his endeavor. The next few minutes were a blur of photographs for Rose, as she blocked out all memories, in search of that one face.

By filtering the photos, her mum had unwittingly also isolated all the pictures of Scorpius. He appeared in 9 out of 10 of them, either with his arm around Rose, or around June.

Ignoring the searing pain, ripping through her heart, she kept going, her goal clear.

It was Albus in the end who cried out in delight, jumping up and down with the prize in his hand. Rose's heart was beating at an unnatural pace as she stood up.

"Who is it?" Harry asked, not even trying to mask his happiness at the discovery. That sobered Al quickly, as he inspected the photo in his hands.

His jaw dropped open, as realization dawned on him, and he passed the photo wordlessly to his father. Harry looked confused for a moment, staring at the picture in his hand, not quite able to place the young man, standing right next to Scorpius.

Ross snatched it from him, impatience getting the best of her. The little colour that her face had gained quickly left it, white, as she recognized the man. A man she had only got a fleeting glimpse of, on what had been by far the worst day of her young life.

Jake Rodgers, June's brother.

There he was, looking awkwardly at the camera, from behind his sister, a champagne flute in hand. He was standing right next to Scorpius, who had one arm around June and the other held his drink, tightly. The youngest Malfoy looked slightly flustered, glancing down every 10 seconds at his watch, before smiling up at the camera again. June had a blissful look on her face, like the cat that had caught its canary. She was seemingly oblivious to the discomfort of the two men she was standing with.

"Jake Rodgers." she murmured out loud, for the benefit of her mum and uncle. "June's elder brother." Al added, when she didn't. "He was at our Graduation. That's where this was taken." he explained, gesturing to the photo. "Scorpius looked extremely uncomfortable in their company, so I took this picture to ease the tension." Al continued.

"He was with me when June pounced. She said she wanted him to meet someone. He came back 20 minutes later, and told me to leave them alone for good." she added, laughing bitterly.

"Wait, he told _you_ to leave _him_ alone? That seems odd." Al commented, frowning at her version of things. "I wasn't supposed to tell you back then, but I guess I can now... Scor fancied you. He was going to tell you that night." Al admitted.

"That's silly, Al. Don't just say it to save my pride, I lost that a long while ago." Rose said shakily, refusing to believe him.

"Rose, I'm not lying. He was going to break things off with June and come find you. He told me himself." Al's tone was deadly serious.

"You weren't there Al. You didn't hear the things he said to me. You don't tell a person you love such... things." she said, taking a deep breath to maintain control. It was taking all her will power not to break down in tears, hearing words she had longed to hear for so bloody long.

"He loved you! I'm telling you, he did! Just because you were blind and just plain stupid, doesn't mean I couldn't see it." Al yelled, irritated that she wasn't accepting the truth.

"I loved him too, damn it! What I wouldn't have given for him to tell me those words. But he didn't love me, he loved June. He made that extremely clear, on this very night." she retaliated, throwing the picture at him. They were both standing now, breathing hard as they tried to work through the new information they had uncovered.

Suddenly Al seemed to tone down, his features softening, his posture weakening. "So you didn't turn him down that night?" he asked, softly, putting the pieces together. She shook her head, not trusting her voice anymore.

None of this made any sense.

Neither the case, nor her love life.

"So all these years you thought that I turned him down, and then went crazy? You held me responsible for all the drama he created?" she accused, turning to meet his eyes. His silence was all that she needed to confirm her suspicions.

She sank down onto the floor, trying her best to work through her emotions.

"I'm sorry, Rosie." was all he could say. She nodded weakly at him.

All the while Harry and Hermione had been spectators, watching their kids try and sort out the mess created by misconceptions.

"The real issue here is Jake Rodgers." Rose stated, getting a grip, finally. The grit and determination in her was now stronger than ever. The case seemed to be drawing to a climax, and at the moment that's all she was craving.

"While I agree that Jake is the main suspect, I think we need to get to him through June." Hermione put in.

"Yes, Mione is right. We need to figure out what actually happened on the night of your Graduation, as it not only changed Scorpius' mind, but it was also the night they first met." Harry added, continuing her train of thought.

"His behavioural change, minutes after meeting Jake, is extremely odd." Albus mused. "He might have been under influence right then. Could be some sort of blackmail..." Hermione guessed.

"Did you notice anything odd about him, Rosie?" she asked her daughter gently, not wanting to upset her further.

"He seemed a little off; his face was paler than usual. And now, if I think about it, he was a little detached." Rose recollected, frowning when things weren't too clear anymore.

"I can hear his words clearly in my head, but everything else is just a big blur." she confessed, apologetically. They now had game changing evidence, and her memory decided to fail her.

Perfect.

"That's alright Rosie; just fill me in if you remember anything important. Do you have any other photos of him Al? In a different angle, perhaps?" Harry asked, hopefully. "We can look through the rest, and see." Al shrugged, squatting down next to Hermione once more.

"Hold on, I had my team look into the Rodgers, once Hermione discovered the ward settings. I never gave it much importance then..." Harry remembered and headed for his papers yet again. After a bit of shuffling about, he realized he didn't have the file. "It must still be down at my office." He groaned, "I'll be right back." Was all he said before disapparating.

Rose watched him leave, before turning back to the mess of photographs on the floor. "Let's move it to the table" she suggested, and Hermione complied, with a wave of her wand.

Ginny re-entered the study then, a huge plate of homemade cookies in tow. "Where's Harry?" she asked, looking around for her missing husband.

"He just went back to the office to look for a file." Rose informed her, relieving her of the plate. She set it down on the table, next to the carton of photographs, for all of them to reach.

"What's going on here?" Ginny was almost horrified as she stared at the mess. "We're looking for this guy." Rose explained, showing her the picture of Jake Rodgers.

"Join us mum, we need all the help we can get." Al offered as he helped himself to the biscuits. With a shrug of her shoulders, she did, not having anything better to do anyway.

Hermione, however, who had been going through the photos the entire time, had a puzzled look on her face.

She had created three different piles of photographs in front of her, and as she sifted through the ones in her hand, she kept sorting them into the separate groups. Al studied the photos from each stack, trying to identify her basis for categorizing them differently.

"What are you doing, Aunt Hermione?" he questioned, feeling as confused as she looked.

She didn't answer him immediately, finishing her task of assigning the remaining photos to their respective piles. She then looked up, to see 3 extremely confused people, staring at her, waiting for an explanation.

"Look at the photographs in the three groups, and tell me what is similar between all of them." she directed, smiling softly as she stood up.

All three of them did as she asked, trying to find a connecting link, wondering how her brain worked.

Rose looked intently at the three stacks in front of her. The first thing she noticed was that all of them were only photos of Scorpius. The first pile mostly contained older photos, from their Hogwarts years, mainly their first through sixth. The second pile, to her eyes looked like his photos with June, once they had gotten together. The third had random photos, of various parties and social gatherings, during and after Hogwarts.

Rose told her mother the same, concluding what she saw, indicating the piles in front of her.

Hermione shook her head before answering "If that's true, we may be onto something. But, it's not why I did this. I had no way of knowing about when these were taken, there is something else." she said.

"Ginny?" she asked, looking at her for an answer. "Scorpius, all these pictures are of him." Ginny started, thinking out loud as she tried to analyze further.

"Yes, and?" Hermione encouraged.

"His expression. He looks more… carefree (?) in these, than in the ones after?" Ginny wondered, looking up at Hermione for confirmation, as she pointed out the first and third stacks respectively.

When Hermione nodded, she continued, "And this look I've only seen in one place; on the groom's face, during a wedding."Ginny concluded, pointing at the pictures with June, drawing an excited whoop from Hermione.

Hermione nodded, excitedly as she picked up the photos. "He looks so happy in these, without any care in the world. In those, however, he is restricted, uncomfortable." Hermione explained. "So obviously, something major happened, which changed his demeanor." She said, almost ignoring the photos with June.

After hearing Ginny's verdict, Rose surveyed the pictures again, trying to decide for herself if what her aunt had observed was true.

Though not very obvious, her mum and aunt had been absolutely spot on, in their findings. She looked at the pictures more closely, trying to find out the reason for these discrepancies.

"I have another photo", she said, remembering her conversation with Scorpius earlier that day. Merlin! Had it only been a few hours since she had been in the hospital? So much had happened between then and now, it was hard to believe that the day hadn't ended yet. And the worst part, Rose knew that they had a long way to go if they wanted a chance at solving this case.

She retrieved the photo from her jacket, where it still was, tucked away safely, though slightly crumpled. She added it to the third pile, quietly, waiting for her mum to comment.

When no one said anything, she started on her own, "I showed that to Scorpius. Rather it fell out of my pocket, during my visit." She informed them.

All three of them stopped what they were doing, and looked up, listening intently to what she had to say. "He found it odd too, his expression. Said he looked uncomfortable in some way." she was almost whispering now, trying to keep the tears at bay.

Her emotions, combined with lack of sleep were running wild, swinging back and forth, at the most inconvenient times. She clasped her hands yet again, laying it on her lap, away from her mother's knowing eyes.

"Well, from what I can tell, he looks like that only in pictures when June isn't around. Like some sort of guilt?" Al put in, trying to veer the topic away from Rose.

Hermione considered this for a moment, as she picked up the photos again.

"And these are all from our first six years at Hogwarts." he added, pointing to the other pile. "Not really. There are a few photos of us wearing our 'Heads' badges." Rose observed, snapping out of it immediately, passing the photo around.

"So we can create a timeline!" Al yelled, jumping up. Before the others realized what had happened, he had performed an incantation to make the dates appear on each photo. Hermione then helped him arrange them chronologically with another spell.

They did the same to the other set of photos.

The gap between the last photos in the first group to the first in the third was a window of 2 weeks.

"Can you recall what happened between Halloween and 14th November in your 7th year? Ginny asked, looking through the pictures again.

The identical looks of shock on Albus and Rose's faces confirmed for a fact that they had just uncovered something vital.

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><p>Please Review :)<p>

Long chapter, so the next one might be a little late, sorry! I'll try to update as soon as possible. Until next time, then :)


	28. Chapter 27

**Hey guys! Thank you all so much for the favs, reviews, alerts and PM's. I've been absolutely ecstatic that it crossed 100 reviews :)**

**Also, thanks for sticking with this story despite my long absence! The story is in its final stages, and this chapter basically reveals most of it. Just the hearing and a lil bit left after this! **

**So, on with it then! **

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Recap:<strong>

**The gap between the last photos in the first group to the first in the third was a window of 14 days. "Can you recall what happened between Halloween and 14th November in your 7th year? Ginny asked, looking through the pictures again.**

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><p>"The match." Rose and Al exclaimed together, exchanging dark looks.<p>

"Which one?" Hermione asked, prodding for details.

"The one between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, our first match of the season." Rose answered slowly, wondering how it fit into the scheme of things.

"Ravenclaw won; there was a brilliant after party. That's pretty much all I remember." Al told him, shrugging.

And then it struck her. "It was the party he got together with June." She choked out, recovering from her shock. She watched the realization spread across Al's face too, at her words. "He was drunk, we all were. I didn't think much of it at the time, but Rose is right. That was the first time he ever gave June any sort of attention. And she hung on like a leech from the next day." Al recollected.

"It's not like he was complaining." Rose snorted, internally regretting every second of that fight she had had with him, about Mark Corner. If she hadn't left, he wouldn't have gotten sloshed, and if he had been sober, he would never have spoken to June. The burden of the consequences of that fight weighed her down now.

"Of course he wasn't, June was a very" whatever he was going to say, he swallowed, after receiving a death glare from his favourite cousin.

"Alright, back to the topic. It's quite obvious now that June had a part to play in all this too. The question is, did all this lead up to the murder, or is it a different case altogether." Hermione said, calling the youngsters back to attention.

Harry decided to apparate back at that very moment, startling them all as he popped in suddenly. He had 2 folders in his hand, which obviously contained the report he had gone looking for. Before he revealed what he had found out, however, he stooped down to see what they had been up to in his absence.

"Aunt Hermione noticed the difference in Scorpius' stance and behaviour in the different photos. We put them in order, and realized that he moved from happy to uneasy in a span of 2 weeks, sometime during our 7th year. Only one major event happened during that time span, a quidditch match victory, leading up to the beginning of his relationship with June, during the after match party." Al filled him in. He listened to the story, not interrupting, while he surveyed the pictures himself, a thoughtful look on his face.

"It might be something, but there is no proof for any of this. It may not be the reason at all." Harry admitted, sorry to see the disappointed looks around him.

"It's alright. Good job guys, we have discovered a lot in the past few minutes." Harry said, pacing up and down as he put things into perspective.

"So there was a change in Scorpius' behaviour immediately after he met June. Six months later, he wanted to confess his love for Rose, when he met Jake, and that changed the game again. He told Rose to stay out of his life, something that June obviously wanted, and then moved in with June. They got engaged a year later, but waited till last year to finally tie the knot. Then, June claimed she was pregnant, two months before Scorpius was accused and sent to Azkaban. He was in jail for six months, was pining for June the entire time, while she didn't have the courage to face him. Rose impersonated June; June found out, met Scorpius herself, and then Scorpius kicked the actual June out, demanding to see Rose. Rose then found out she had been lying to Scorpius about the pregnancy matter, possibly to save her marriage, but the man in question doesn't remember anything but a few useless details." Harry said, bringing everyone up to speed.

"Am I missing anything?" he questioned, stopping his pacing to survey his audience.

"Meanwhile the actual culprit, Jake Rodgers, June's elder brother, committed heinous crimes, and tried to frame Scorpius for the entire fiasco. He most probably also kidnapped me, and was posing as Mr. Malfoy while doing so. And he has an accomplice." Rose added to her Uncle's summary.

"That is consistent with what I discovered at the Manor. The person who broke in to steal Malfoy's DNA was a relative of the Malfoys. Jake falls under that category; he becomes family by default as he is June's brother." Hermione stated, adding some proof to their theory, though not anything substantial.

"Now the question is why he did it, what were his motives?" Harry pondered, starting to pace once more. "Also, how did he manage to frame Scorpius, without any trace of magic?" Al wondered out loud.

"He could have blackmailed him with something…" Hermione trailed off. Harry shook his head, "No, that doesn't explain his missing memories."

What did you find out from the report, Uncle Harry? Anything on Jake?" Rose asked, aiming for a different angle.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" he cried, turning back to the table and picking up the file.

"You won't believe this." He stated grimly, as he opened the report to the relevant page. His next words however, hadn't been anticipated by the rest. "He's a squib." Harry said, reading further.

"But- but... How?" Rose stammered, words failing her at such a discovery.

"Maybe this explains everything, Rose. Why there were no other traces of magic in that Adrian bloke's place. The inefficient spells, the shoddy planning, everything." Al said, taking up from where his father had left off, still immersed in the file.

"Still doesn't explain why he framed Scorpius, or how he did it." Hermione piped in, trying to keep them grounded.

"Maybe Scorpius was an easy target. He was his sister's boyfriend after all, plus an ex-death eater's son, pretty convenient. The prophet blew things out of proportion, the commoners were out raged, and all he needed was a scapegoat. Voila, Scorpius Malfoy is sent to Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit." Al said, his voice getting harsher with each word he spat, his anger on behalf of his best mate shining through.

"Calm down, Albus." Harry warned severely.

It had the desired effect, and he fell silent, still simmering with anger at the injustice of it all.

Rose didn't let herself get carried away with the new developments. All they were doing was conjecture, everything easily dismissed by a court, without evidence. She was more practical than her hot headed cousin, more of a rational thinker, though he often tagged her, a pessimist.

"Assuming what you say is true, _how_ he did it still eludes us." she maintained. Al let out a frustrated groan at her logic. "He didn't have a want, obviously. Which probably means he had an accomplice, who did the dirty work for him?" Hermione guessed, trying to keep the discussion moving.

"Or he stole a wand." Al muttered darkly.

"Would that work, mum? A stolen wand, in the hands of a squib?" Rose asked.

"It would depend on a lot of things, I suppose. His capabilities, skills, how he channelized the little magic I him, whether he was always a squib or was turned into one, if he" Hermione rattled off, counting the factors rapidly.

"Ok, we get it." Harry interrupted, clearly used to her rants. "Can you figure it out from the information here?" he asked, handing her the file. She took it from him and got immersed in it immediately.

"While I was at the office, I put three teams out for Jake Rodgers. He should be ours by sunrise." Harry informed them, sighing.

Immediately Rose moved out of her seat, motioning for him to sit down, while Hermione figured things out. He took the seat gratefully, sinking into it as he helped himself to one of his wife's cookies.

"That's good news." Al nodded, "Should I go too?" he asked his father, ready to leave on command. "No, stay. We could use you here. It was thanks to your photos that we were able to identify him. Though why they are scattered all over my office, I don't know." Harry groaned reproachfully, staring around at the mess in his study.

"We'll help you clean up, don't worry." Rose promised, as she bent to pick up some pictures which had fallen to the ground. "Thank you, Rose. That would be a major help." Harry accepted, waiting on Hermione, as the two youngsters began clearing.

"Any leads on my wand?" she questioned hopefully. "No luck, sorry. However, I'm sure if we find Rodgers, we'll find the wand." Harry assured, confidently.

"It's getting late, Mione. Why don't you take that back home. I'm sure Ron will be worried. We can meet back here, early tomorrow to take things forward. I'll update Blake on what we found now." Harry proposed, getting to his feet.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Don't worry about Ron; I knocked him out with a dreamless sleep potion. He was throwing a hissy fit about Rose being involved." Hermione admitted sheepishly.

"I'll see you later then." She said, hugging him. "If you need to talk, you know where to find me." she addressed her daughter, before waving them all good night and disapparating home, folders in hand.

"We'll finish up here, Rosie, go home." Harry said, but she was adamant to help.

"Go home, Rose." Harry ordered, prying a set of photographs out of her hands. Stubborn as she was she wouldn't let go.

"I'm fine, Uncle Harry. Besides, if I go home now, I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway." she convinced, but she realized her attempt was in vain, as he wasn't even listening to her.

He was staring at the photos he had recovered from her, his expression closely guarded.

"What are these?" he asked, flipping through them, studying each one carefully.

"Did you notice his face too, then?" Ginny laughed, coming up behind him to see that he was looking at the third set Hermione had created, the pictures of Scorpius with June.

"I saw it too. He must really have loved her; I only saw that expression on Ron's face at the altar." Ginny said smiling, ignoring her husband's lack of response.

"No, Gin. I've seen this look on Ron's face too, only it wasn't during the wedding. It was in sixth year, on his birthday to be precise." Harry shook his head grimly.

"But, if that's true... That means-" Ginny trailed off, in shock as she followed Harry's train of thoughts.

"What? What happened on my dad's birthday? What does it mean?" Rose questioned, not understanding a word of what they were discussing, or why Ginny was so shocked.

"Call Hermione back." Harry told her, disregarding her questions. "I'm on it." Al complied, disapparating on the spot.

"What's happening, Aunt Ginny?" Rose asked, now frustrated at the lack of information.

"We'll explain in a second, dear." Ginny consoled her mind clearly elsewhere.

"What's wrong?" Hermione burst in, Al 2 seconds behind her.

"Amortentia." was all Harry said, waiting for her response.

"What? How?" she asked, finding it difficult to grasp the simple concept.

The word drew a gasp from Rose, and all the blood drained her face, as she thought over it. Her knuckles were white from her death grip on the chair in front of her, as the implications began to sink in.

A love potion.

Had it really been that simple?

It would explain why Scorpius had fallen for June so thoroughly, after the party. Why he couldn't go even a few minutes without her. Why it had caused such a strain on their friendship. Why he looked so uneasy when she wasn't by his side. How he had done everything she had commanded, including the murder of a young woman.

The thought made her sick to the stomach. She didn't know how much more of this she could bear.

Al's words came back to her, 'He fancied you. He was going to tell you that day.'

"If that was the case he couldn't have been in love with Rose, too!" Al said, voicing her thoughts and bringing her back to the present.

She had missed the discussion around her, but it hardly mattered anymore. She fought to keep focus and listen to what her mum was saying. "But it might have worn off. Six months is a long time, for it to act. He must have started regaining his will power back, and realized that he loved Rose, not June." Hermione was saying.

"Then why did he tell me to get lost?" Rose voiced, her inner turmoil clearly visible on her anguished face. Silence greeted her challenge, as they all mulled over it. A whole minute passed, before Al tried, tentatively, "Maybe she realized and added it to his drink again?"

"Yes! When she dragged him away, to meet her brother." Ginny jumped up. "He even has a drink in the photo. How hard would it have been to slip it in, especially when he was so distracted." She continued, convinced completely by this theory.

"It's definitely a possibility." Harry concluded. "You said he looked pale and nervous, they would both be signs of him having ingested the potion." Harry added.

"Or of fifty other potions or reasons." Hermione disagreed, obviously doubtful. "You have to admit that it is probable, Mione." Harry pressed, to which she grudgingly agreed.

"So if we search June's house we'll find traces of Amortentia?" Al asked, moving forward, trying to notch up some form of evidence to support their theory.

"Unlikely." Harry admitted, "He's been away for more than six months. And going by what Rose said about marriage problems, she must have stopped administering it a while before that. Even eight to ten months back."

"You can still try, can't you?" Hermione coerced, getting on board finally.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do." Harry gave in.

"Does amortentia give her the power of making him do what she wants?" Rose asked, her voice hollow.

"It would have made him so infatuated; he would have done anything she asked of him." Hermione answered, worried by the state of her daughter. When she moved to comfort her, however she flinched and turned away.

"How does Jake fit into all this?" Rose enquired, drawing everyone back to the case.

"He realizes that June has someone under her control, uses it to his advantage?" Al guessed.

"But June loved him; she went through the trouble of concocting a love potion for him. Sure it's a twisted way, but still. She wouldn't have given him up so easily." Hermione argued.

"He blackmailed her, then? Said he would expose her to Scorpius if she didn't comply?" Al tried again. "Or he imperiused her. That would explain how he got a wand. He stole hers. And she's probably his accomplice too." Rose said darkly.

"If that's true, all we have to do is find June. She'll be proof enough." Harry nodded, agreeing with his niece.

"So that explains how he did it. Why, is all that remains." Hermione sighed.

"We should get that straight from the horse's mouth, tomorrow morning." Harry said, barely concealing a yawn. "Well off you go. Get some rest before the hearing." he said, and pushed them all out, before anyone could protest otherwise.

* * *

><p>Review Review Review :)<p>

Do leave your thoughts! I would LOVE to hear what you guys are thinking. To all those of you who guessed it right, I hope you weren't disappointed!

Hope this explains why Scorpius was acting as he did? I know it doesn't justify his actions completely, but then again, the story isn't over, is it ;)

On that note, till next time :)


	29. Chapter 28

"Well off you go. Get some rest before the hearing." he said, and pushed them all out, before anyone could protest otherwise.

* * *

><p>As expected, Rose had disturbed sleep, that night as well.<p>

Nightmares plagued her, all too vivid, but fast disappearing once she awoke. She tossed and turned restlessly, unable to fall asleep without waking up, a few minutes later. The heat was stifling, and when she threw off her covers, she shivered from the cold.

It was around 5 am when she decided to finally put an end to it.

She got out of bed and headed for a nice long shower. She then pulled on her best skirt, ironed shirt and black pumps. She ran a comb through her tangled curls, attempting a neat bun, with not a strand out of place.

Without her wand, she had to do it the muggle way, which set her back.

It took a while, but she was finally happy enough with her appearance, professional.

Minutes before she floo-ed to Grimmauld Place, the Daily Prophet arrived, 'Sentencing today: Life or Death for Malfoy Heir.' the headlines screamed, the same photo under it as before.

Too disgusted to read it, she drained the rest of her coffee in one go, getting the caffeine fix she needed to get through the day.

It was still early when she reached her Uncle's.

Ginny was in the kitchen like before, and she offered her toast, knowing she wasn't in the frame of mind to eat anything else. She accepted gratefully, swallowing it down, all the while wondering when her last meal had been.

"Oh, good. You're here." Al said as he helped himself to a slice, ready in his Auror robes. "Dad is at the Department already; they are hot on the trail of Rodgers, and are going to bring June in for custody soon. Blake is around too, trying to use anything he can get." Al updated her.

"That's great news, Al!" Rose exclaimed, finally a smile shining through.

"He won't talk though. He'll know we don't have anything concrete on him." He said grimly, getting to his feet.

"Wait, I'm coming with you." she said, swallowing a mouthful, hurriedly.

"Thanks Aunt Ginny!" she called out, grabbing her purse from where she had dropped it earlier. She didn't even hear her Aunt's reply, as Al had side-along apparated them to the Ministry already.

They were greeted by a huge din, coming from around the office. Rose suspected that someone had tipped off the press about the new leads. They weaved through the crowd, desperate to get inside, away from the noise.

"Mr. Potter! Mr. Potter! What do you think is going to happen today? Mr. Potter, is Scorpius Malfoy guilty?" The reporters hounded them as soon as they appeared on seen. Rose fled, thanking her stars that they hadn't spotted her yet.

"I believe in our judicial system and I believe he is innocent." Al said, giving them the exact response they wanted. As soon as the word were out of his mouth, they started again, question after question, each barely discernible from the next.

"Mr. Potter, is your personal relationship with Mr. Malfoy affecting your objectivity on this case?" A young reporter asked, heard above the rest thanks to the sonorous spell he used.

The audience waited with bated breaths, their quick note quills at the ready.

"I have known him since I was 11. If he says he didn't do it, then I believe him. It has no bearing on my actions as an auror. If anything, it has made me work harder than ever before to ensure the right answers are found and the person actually responsible for these heinous crimes is in Azkaban." He answered truthfully.

The direct quote from Harry Potter's son was enough to excite the reporters. Each ran in different directions, hoping to publish it before their rivals and earn brownie points from their bosses.

"You should run for minister." Rose suggested playfully, once their way was clear. He brushed her off with a non-committal shrug of his shoulders and sauntered into his father's cubicle.

"Did we get him?" Rose asked eagerly. Harry shook his head grimly. "Even if we do, he knows we don't have enough to hold him for long. He's been too careful for that. It's sheer luck we even got on his trail. He is going to wait it out and walk out of here free. And we can't do a damn thing to stop him." He said, sounding absolutely frazzled.

"Not if I can help it." The sly tone of Draco Malfoy interrupted. There he stood, by the door, looking as tired as Harry, but a smile painted across his face, making him look younger by decades!

"Malfoy! I have never been as happy to see you." Harry admitted, a smile softening his features as well.

"While you and your incompetent team aimlessly looked for Jacob, I did something much more useful with my resources." He said, disregarding Harry's greeting completely.

"So you figured it out too then?" Harry asked, only mildly surprised.

"Of course I did Potter. I may be getting on in age, but I am not a complete moron." He answered, a smirk dancing on the corners of his mouth.

"Alright then, tell us already." Harry hurried, impatient for good news.

"I present to you, my lovely, soon to be ex, daughter-in-law." He announced with a flourish, and it was then that they noticed her slender figure, almost hidden behind him.

For a moment Rose had assumed her to be Astoria, but at his words, her heart soared. "And, she's willing to talk. Aren't you, June?" He said, forcefully, dragging her in front with a vicious grip on her arm.

June looked haggard and pale, with her hair dishevelled, as were her clothes. The purple bags under her eyes showed stress, and Rose wondered whether it was a glamour that had kept her looking so impeccable all these days.

"Yes, I will testify." She squeaked, not daring to meet anyone's eyes, especially Rose's. Rose didn't know what had made her change her mind, nor did she know the methods Draco Malfoy had used to get his way, but things were taking a turn for the better and she wasn't complaining.

* * *

><p>The end of Voldemort had brought an end to many other things in the Wizarding world, the trials by the Wizengamot being one of them.<p>

The 50 member strong council had been dissolved by Kingsley Shacklebolt and his advisors, in favor of a more just system, adopting a few practices from their muggle counterparts, in hopes of better governance.

The new administration allowed for a formal hearing in front of a Judge, complete with lawyers et al.

This had led to a new crop of lawyers, including those with private practices, like Mr. Peter Blake. With the Death-Eater trials taking utmost priority as the end of the war, these establishments had been set up rather fast, and now they represented big names within the fraternity.

The profession too, became highly sought after, and soon kids were aspiring to be lawyers, as they were aurors.

Now, a few decades after that epic battle in Hogwarts, the lawyers were a flourishing breed, the new system cemented in place, and the Wizengamot all but forgotten.

The wise members of the auspicious panel weren't to be left out, however, and they took up the roles of Judges and the 'jury' if you please, in the new reign.

This particular trial, the one of Scorpius Malfoy, was to be judged by one of the best men they had.

Named Chief Warlock after Albus Dumbledore, Edward Nathaniel Robards was as experienced as they came. He had looked over the proceedings immediately after the war, and had taken the right decisions regarding each individual presented before him, the Malfoys included.

Now, he rarely attended the trials, but upon special request from the Auror Department, he had agreed.

The case intrigued him as well. Classic case of a rich, most possibly spoilt rotten, brat, doing as he wished, thinking it was alright to kill innocent muggle girls. It had been a while, since the matter of blood-purity had been brought to the forefront. Prejudices were still present, he wouldn't deny it, but it was never voiced, certainly not as loudly as this.

The voices for justice were louder than ever this time around, with the whole community wanting to drown out blood supremacy, once and for all. No one wanted power or money to deny them justice.

And then there were the muggles, who had been affected by this as well.

The media were hyping things up as usual, not having had a proper scandal in a really long while.

There were so many people out for the poor boy's blood, no one quite stopping to ask if he was guilty or not.

And that's what intrigued Robards.

The hearing today would decide his fate, and yet there were faint murmurs about his innocence.

The Malfoys complicated things as well in his opinion. A family who had fought really hard to regain their name and stature in society wouldn't inculcate such values in their only heir, surely.

Even if they had, wouldn't they have hidden it better?

Their wealth and influence was well known, and yet the only place they had seen it flash was in the hiring of Peter Blake.

Ah, Mr. Blake. It would be entertaining to see how the man handled this one.

Yes, it was going to be challenging.

Extremely confusing, if he knew Blake, and he did.

But Edward Robards also had a keen sense of observation, and years of experience had made him a brilliant judge of human behaviour if not anything else. The hearing would be immensely interesting if not anything else, and he for one was waiting to have a crack at law again.

With this on his mind, he apparated to his office, ready to hear Peter Blake's defense while the rest of the country cried for Scorpius Malfoy's head. 

* * *

><p>Please Review? :)<p>

Kind of a filler, but required for the build up to the trial. I'll try to have the next one out soon :)

Thanks!


	30. Chapter 29

June Rodgers had been extremely unhelpful since the time she had set foot in the Ministry, for all she had done was weep. Interrogation had been of no use, as all they could get out of her was tears.

She had fallen to pieces in front of their very eyes, and there had been nothing they could do to stop her.

Calm reasoning, agitated badgering and irate threatening had so far yielded no results, nor had appealing to her sympathies or her conscience.

"Did you force feed him Amortentia? Was it your brother? Where is Jacob Rodgers? Answer me!" The auror yelled in frustration, hitting the table between them. His action startled her, but only increased the waterworks a second later.

"It will never work." Rose sighed, as she watched the drama unfold from behind the glass.( The position of honour having been given to her secretly by family, for which she was extremely grateful!)

"Then what will?" Al asked, running a hand through his unkempt hair, seconds away from pulling at it in irritation.

"Let me talk to her." She said quietly; resolve strengthening in her eyes, as she stood a little straighter.

Al let out a dry laugh at her statement, "So you can kill each other? No thanks." He scoffed.

"I'm serious Al. _I_ can get through to her." Rose maintained, disregarding his uncertainty.

"What makes you say that? Your last few interactions with her?" Al quipped, sarcasm dripping in his tone.

"She's in the same position as I am in. If anyone understands, it's me. And she knows it too. So if there is anyone she will talk to, or even listen to, it's me." Rose stated grimly, leaving Al dumb-struck as she brushed past him, into the interrogation room. After a few words with the other auror, he left, leaving the sobbing mess of June Rodgers alone with her.

"June?" Rose approached tentatively as she sat opposite her.

"Here" She offered the girl a napkin. Her tone wasn't harsh, but it wasn't exactly kind either. It wasn't authoritative or firm, but was enough to make June do as she said.

June took the cloth, but there were no signs of her stopping her tears.

"Listen, I know this is hard. It is extremely painfully, and trust me, I know how much. But now is not the time to break down. Now is the time for us to stay strong, and be brave, like how Scorpius would want for us to be. I know it seems bleak, but this whole ordeal will all be over soon. And you know how I can say that with confidence?" Rose almost challenged her, earning an almost indiscernible look from her.

But it was there alright, a plea for help, a cry for it to end.

"Because I know you, June. And I know _exactly_ how much you love Scorpius Malfoy. I know the lengths you went through to make him love you the same way. And the toll it took on you when you realized he would never see you the way you see him.

I know, because I went through the exact same things June.

We are more similar that you thought.

The stark difference being the way we handled things.

I knew when to let go… you didn't.

And now, he's suffering for it. Do you really want him to pay for your mistakes June? Do you want him to die for what your brother did, for what you did? Because, that's what's going to happen if you don't confess." She stated calmly, not letting her inner turmoil show through.

When she still didn't receive a response from the girl in front of her, she continued.

"You _were_ pregnant, weren't you, June? But your brother made you get rid of it. At a muggle hospital too, so there would be no trace of it. He killed your baby, Scorpius' baby, and you still won't speak against him? Don't you think he should be brought to justice?" Rose probed, and had to contain her excitement when she saw a flicker in June's eyes.

A flicker of fear, one of defeat.

"Don't be scared June. It'll be over soon, I promise you. You know what you have to do. And I'm sure you will. If not for me, or for Scorpius, or for yourself, for your unborn child. You will come out with the truth, and you will do what's right." Rose finished, standing up to leave.

With one last look at the girl before her, she turned to leave, only to be called back, with the softest whisper of her name.

"You're right, about everything." June choked out, her voice hoarse and tone subdued.

"We'll need a statement, an official one. Can you tell us everything, right from the beginning?" Rose enquired, her tone softening as she felt a rush of sympathy for the beaten girl.

One nod from her was all it took to return Rose's confidence in humanity.

* * *

><p>Albus Potter stood outside the interrogation room, watching on, as Rose Weasley did his job for him.<p>

It struck him again just how affected she was, by this case.

It had been five years since Scorpius had unceremoniously shut her out of his life, and her unwavering devotion to him despite that, never failed to surprise him.

He could only wonder whether she had actually known about the pregnancy, or had taken a shot in the dark, but it definitely had paid off.

June was now singing like a bird, confessing to everything, and the best aurors were just taking notes as most of their conjecture was proved true.

But that was the problem, wasn't it.

She was confessing to absolutely everything, admitting that she had been behind it all, not her brother, like they had suspected.

It still sounded a bit odd, farfetched almost, the story she was telling.

It was obvious to anyone who could listen that it was a lie, a cover up if you will.

She was protecting her brother, maybe for the same reason she hadn't come forward all this time.

She was afraid; either of him, or for him.

And they needed to coerce her out of it. To make her admit to the truth, the whole truth.

If only Jacob Rodgers had been caught already. It would have saved them a world of trouble.

No one liked harassing women, especially those as distraught as June. But it was his job, and he had to suck it up, and bloody well do it. If he didn't, well he didn't even want to go there.

Listening to the whole story, having it confirmed by her, was too surreal for the middle Potter. For five whole years his best friend hadn't been himself, and he had never noticed. No one had noticed, till everything had spiraled wildly out of control.

"Mr. Potter, your sister is here to see you." Collins interrupted his thoughts.

He excused himself, wondering what exactly Lily had to say that was so important that he had to be dragged away from this case.

Sure his sister visited, but no one bothered him when he was working, even on a normal case.

And this was no normal case, was it?

Curious as to her visit, he met her excited gaze with a questioning look, meaning to get down to business as fast as possible.

"Don't give me that look, Al. I promise you, you want to see this." She drawled knowingly, pulling out an envelope from her bag. He grabbed it, impatience getting the better of him, not waiting for her reply before ripping it open.

She just watched him, a smug look on her face, eyes twinkling with happiness at her discovery.

He withdrew his hand from the cover, drawing with it more photographs. A closer look confirmed they were from that same graduation party, the night Scorpius had met Jake.

"What are these?" he asked his sister, taking a better look at the pictures in his hand.

What he saw made him gasp.

This was exactly the proof they required! Now Scorpius could be freed, all thanks to this one photograph! The realization astounded him, and her swooped in on his sister who had brought him the best news he had heard in a long while.

"Where did you get this?" he asked, letting her up for air from his death grip.

"Mum told me what you discovered last night. So I made a few calls. Lysander was taking photos too that night, as was Frank Longbottom. They owled me the photos immediately, and it wasn't hard to locate these." She explained, grinning at him.

She knew the implications as well, and was extremely relieved, for Scorpius, Al and Rose. Maybe they could finally have some peace now.

"Thanks, Lil. You're the best. I just need to get these to the lab in time, so they can be proved real!" Al laughed, almost whooping in his glee.

"I know." She called after him, as he ran, ready to prove his friend's innocence, once and for all.

* * *

><p>They say that patience is a virtue...<p>

But Peter Blake had never believed in it.

Among all his accomplishments and accolades, impatience was the one thing that had always stood against him.

Over the years however, as his name and reputation had grown, he had turned this black mark to his advantage. His impatience allowed for his employees to be scared of him, and from that fear had blossomed a habit of being prompt.

As everyone, who had ever had the honour of working closely with him, could testify, his impatience had made them more efficient, if only so that they might evade his wrath.

Given this, Blake had now grown comfortable in his position, sure that he would never have to wait for anything, ever again, at the very least in the courtrooms.

Another thing he always expected was perfection, and it had been drummed into all those working for him.

He absolutely loved it when things fit neatly, into a nice tight package; one he could present with a flourish in court, wrapped in the finest paper, finished with a bow.

It was really no surprise that the man had such an impeccable record. Sure he was a brilliant man, with a lot of experience under his belt. But it was his team of diligent workers who helped him stay at the very top, delivering the best, on time, to keep up with his every whim and fancy.

When things didn't go his way however, there was hell to be faced.

His mood swings were terrible to predict, and there were few who could handle his worst.

He loved a good twist or two, as he loved challenging work, but when the pieces didn't fit, he wasn't a happy man.

And no one wanted to see an unhappy Peter Blake.

He had been apprehensive of taking the Malfoy case.

It had been quite straightforward in the beginning, the evidence clearly pointing to Scorpius Malfoy as the culprit.

But he had accepted it all the same, when the Malfoy patriarch had called in a favour. Not many people refused the Malfoys, especially distraught ones who would go to the ends of the Earth to ensure that their hides were covered.

Draco Malfoy could be extremely persuasive if he wanted.

Not to mention the galleons he was offering.

It had been a lucrative deal, and Peter Blake had taken it, not just for the monetary gains, but also the case itself. He enjoyed pushing his boundaries once in a while, and this case gave him a chance to do just that. He was living dangerously, given the amount of media attention the case had garnered.

If it swung the wrong way, his firm's reputation might as well drown.

But Blake wasn't used to losing, was he.

Oh no, he was sure he would have this in the bag. And when he did, he would be the one laughing all the way to the bank. Not to forget all the fame that would come their way.

What he hadn't expected however, was the amount of trouble it would bring him.

Right from the outset, a number of hurdles had been thrown his way, along with half baked clues and non-withstanding conjectures.

His team too had been completely ineffective, forcing him to enter the arena himself and do some digging.

It had been a rugged climb to the finish, and still, nothing was fitting properly.

All he had was a bunch of ill fitting pieces, a false testimony and some wild theories from interns.

It was extremely unsettling, especially this close to the hearing.

As mentioned before, he was not used to waiting, and this case had been just about that.

The long wait for Scorpius Malfoy to say a word, for the aurors to follow up on leads, for the papers to be processed; it had all led up to this final day where he had absolutely no proof to defend the wild story he was about to tell in court. A man so sure of his team found himself nervous for the first time, before a hearing.

Only a miracle could save them now, or else, it looked like dementors would finally get their man.

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><p>Fast update for you, my lovely readers! Thank you so much for your encouraging reviews :) They really have motivated me back into action!<p>

Please review! :)

Did anyone see that coming? leave me your thoughts.


	31. Chapter 30

And here we have it... The Trial!

Enjoy! :)

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><p>"It's time." Rick announced, bringing her out of her stupor.<p>

Soon after she had spoken to June, she had been hustled out of the Auror Department, and no amount of begging or threatening had helped her get back in. So, for the past hour and a half she had been staring into space vacantly, trying to keep her mind off the harsh reality of the hearing and what the consequences of their loss might translate to.

"Let's go then." She said, standing up, speaking a lot more calmly than she thought she could manage.

"Are you sure you can do this, Weasley? Sit this one out if you have to." Elizabeth Greene offered, walking up behind them.

"I'm fine." She maintained, shortly, walking out of the room as fast as her legs would carry her. It had been absolute torture, the inaction, but she truly was helpless. Without her wand she couldn't go out into the field, especially after her 'kidnapping'. It was obvious Jake Rodgers was capable of anything, and she couldn't go up against him, unarmed. Besides, her over protective family had ensured that, even if she tried to leave, an army of aurors would stop her before she reached the door. So she had waited, the minutes dragging by till it was finally time.

As soon as she entered the court room her eyes connected with Al's. He gave her a brief nod and a smile, patting the envelope in his hand as he did so. At the confused look she gave him across the room, he just smiled, giving her a thumbs-up signal. Curious as to what evidence they might have found, she made to move towards him, but he shook his head, motioning her to sit down. Again, unhappy with his lack of cooperation, she sat, not too close, but not too far from the Defendant's box.

She had wanted to visit Scorpius again, but they hadn't let her. There was no sign of Mr. Malfoy either, who had disappeared after dropping June off. She looked around the room for the tell-tale blonde hair of the Malfoys, not able to spot even one of them.

Finding it unusual, she got up, deciding to ask Elizabeth Greene about the matter. The woman in question however, was in deep discussion with Peter Blake, and Rose inched closer, trying to hear something, anything.

"At the very least we'll get an extension, won't we?" Greene was asking, her tone urgent.

"The story makes no sense, but that photograph should buy us time. The aurors need to bring it back, confirming it's not a fake." Blake said, his composure intact as always.

"The girl is sticking to it then?" Greene asked, her face twisted in disapproval.

"Minor setback, I'll break her." He stated arrogantly. "Ah, Miss Weasley, do stop eavesdropping and join us." He ordered, an amused look on his face.

Cringing at having been caught, she covered the remaining distance between them, the tell tale Weasley blush now prominent. "What set back?" she asked, using the situation to her advantage.

"June Malfoy and her story, as to how she was the master mind behind the whole thing. She's not willing to implicate anyone else. If it was as you conjectured, her brother, it would have held some stead in court. This however sounds concocted." Peter Blake explained.

"Let me speak to her!" Rose said, outraged. After all their hard work, she couldn't believe it had come down to this.

"No, anything we say to her now can be put down as coercion or blackmail. It's out of the question." Greene added.

"Where are the Malfoys?" Rose asked, changing tack.

"They're on their way. They ran into Blaise Zabini in the lobby." Greene answered again, her tone snippy.

Before Rose could question any further, the people in question swept into the room, bringing in their wake a swarm of other people who had been eagerly waiting for this day. Mercifully reporters weren't allowed beyond a point, and if not for the protective charms they would have been everywhere.

"Take a seat Miss Weasley, or you'll miss out on the most interesting case in your life." Greene said to her, winking once before following Blake to the front of the room. And she did as advised, not trying to seek out the Malfoys anymore, just crossing her fingers and hoping for the best.

* * *

><p>Once everyone settled down and the small formalities were done with, the 'Judge' called for Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy to be presented in court.<p>

He walked in, head bowed down, shoulders slouched in defeat, escorted by an army of guards.

The dementors thankfully, were absent. But, the mood was oppressive enough, even without them.

The atmosphere was somber, and heavy with anticipation as he made his way down the aisle. The tension in the air was palpable, and contagious, as was the silence. She watched him closely, identifying that defeated attitude that she had seen the day before immediately. She was worried about him.

Even if he did make it out of this mess, she wasn't sure he would ever go back to being that boy she remembered, so full of love and life.

The man before her now wasn't even a shadow on his former self, and that scared her more than anything. The fact that he had no hope left chilled her to her very core.

Bracing herself for what was to come, she turned her attention back to the proceeding, barely keeping herself together.

Peter Blake was doing what he did best. He was talking, and there was no matching him. She watched in awe how he fielded questions, and made critical points, leaving no room for any cross-questioning.

For the first time in a long while, she actually felt that they could get through this. As her spirits lifted, she sat up a bit straighter and took a survey of the room around her.

Tense faces met her gaze, all staring straight ahead at the scene before them. The Malfoys were huddled together, with Astoria Malfoy clutching onto her husband's hand, as if for life. Narcissa sat beside them, her pale face showing no emotions, but her tight grip on her handbag giving away her anxiety.

Draco's face was a mask of iron as well, and Rose once again admired the family's calm and collected composure in times of crisis.

From her angle, she noticed his eyes free of the bags they had carried just hours before, and she realized that it was all an act, a brilliant one at that. A well placed glamour charm and a poker face were all it took, she supposed. His jaw, however, seemed to be clenched tight, but she couldn't be sure.

Blaise Zabini sat a few rows behind them, his eyes set on the Malfoys, face unreadable. She wondered again what the story was there. It was no secret, the bad blood between the men. It had been that way since their time at Hogwarts if the rumors were to be believed.

There was an added claim that Astoria was to be married to Zabini, before the Malfoys swept her away. However, Rose wasn't sure what to believe, and the fact that Draco had linked him to the case first, made her suspicious.

Scanning further, she saw a few aurors she recognized, all watching carefully. Al was there too, his face grim as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

Right at the back was her mum, who was jotting down points while she paid attention, scrutinizing every word being said, with a look of deep concentration on her face.

There were several ministry workers as well, all curious as to the outcome of this case.

The absence of one Mr. Potter surprised her. She had thought her uncle would have been there throughout, given his involvement in the case. Wondering where he could possibly be, she then turned her attention to the jury, watching their reaction to the information they were receiving.

A brief inspection told her that there were 16 members, consisting of an equal number of men and women, their ages ranging from mid-thirties to late seventies she supposed. They all had severe looks on their faces, listening to every word, recording it for future reference. Each had a keen eye with which they were criticizing Scorpius' every move. Rose felt rather intimidated by the amount of experience she recognized on that panel. Big names had been called in for help, she noticed and once again she appreciated the seriousness of the situation.

The judge himself was a brilliant man, one whom she had looked up to all through her education as a lawyer. His records preceded him, as did the cases he had handled during the aftermath of the War. He was known to be a fair man, however, and an exceptional judge of character. After all, that was his job.

Right now, he too was listening intently, his eyes moving like a hawk across the court room, noting every detail. He seemed to be sizing everyone up, just as she was, but on a much bigger scale, at a more professional level. She watched him in fascination, wondering how exactly the man would handle the story they were giving him.

"… would like to call upon Mrs. June Malfoy nee Rodgers" Blake was saying as she focused on him again. Once June made her way to the front, she was led to a small box, from where she was to speak. She was asked to state her name and details, along with her relation to the defendant. She did so, her voice trembling with nervous energy.

Rose willed her to tell the truth. It was about time it came out into the open, for the world to know.

She looked back at Scorpius, to see how he was dealing with this development. Surely he hadn't known that they were going to bring his wife into this. However there was no response from him, not even a slight twitch. He continued in the same position, unmoving, unfeeling.

"Mrs. Malfoy, where did you meet your husband for the first time?" Blake began, his voice booming across the hall, reverberating off the high vaulted ceilings as he did so. It was well known in the courtroom scene, that if Peter Blake resorted to this tactic, something important was going to be revealed soon.

The reaction in the room was immediate, with people sitting up a little straighter, just to listen more carefully.

"At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We were in the same year." June stated, the nature of the question not having any effect on her jangled nerves.

"Are you an only child, Mrs. Malfoy?" he asked, drawing surprised looks from the audience.

What was the man playing at, asking such diametrically opposite questions?

"No. I have an older brother, Jacob Rodgers." She answered, fear evident on her face.

"And I presume this brother; Mr. Jacob Rodgers attended Hogwarts with you as well?" Blake pressed on, in full game mode now.

"No." she whispered.

"No? Why not?" he asked, almost innocently.

"Because, he was a squib." She said.

"A squib? Would you look at that ladies and gentlemen, we have another twist to the tale. Along with an accused pureblood, for crimes of blood supremacy, we now have a squib added to the equation!" Blake announced happily, making a show of it to the people, who lapped it up eagerly. The murmurings that began all around were quelled immediately when he picked up the strain again, "I notice you said he 'was' a squib, does that mean he isn't any longer?" was the question.

"He was never really a squib; his magic was just severely repressed. So he went to Muggle boarding school. His magic started showing itself only after the age of 17, by which time it was too late." June tried to explain.

"Too late, surely not? There are many Wizarding schools which still train individuals, no matter what their age. And I'm sure you are aware of that as well, Mrs. Malfoy. As was your family. No, that wasn't the reason your elder brother wasn't sent to Hogwarts. In fact, he even got his acceptance letter at the age of eleven. The reason he wasn't allowed to go was because he was mentally unstable. Did you know that, June?" Blake paused, looking over at the stricken girl.

"She didn't know. Not many knew, and even those who did, made an exceptional job of cleaning up behind themselves. Records were altered to show that Jacob Rodgers was a squib, is a squib. Any records St. Mungos had were destroyed. And the best part, he was treated at a muggle hospital. After all, no wizard would think of looking there.

It was an ingenious plan, and it worked for almost a decade too. At the age of seventeen, when Mr. Rodgers came of age, his magic couldn't be suppressed any longer. It was causing problems around muggles, and he couldn't be retained in a muggle surrounding. That was when he was brought home, by the Rodgers and held captive there.

While at home Jacob learnt about magic, imbibing from the environment around him. He slowly discovered magic, and its uses, studying from books. He might even have used his parents' wands while they weren't paying attention. The Rodgers, glad to have their son back, didn't suspect anything. They continued with the charade that he was a squib, trusting the medication to keep him stable.

It was two years after this incident that Jacob was taken along on an outing to Hogwarts, to witness his sister's graduation. And at this event, he happened to meet the man June Rodgers was infatuated with, Scorpius Malfoy. All along, unknown to the family, the effectiveness of the medication supplied had been reducing. And as it did, his baser, more prominent part took over.

As I mentioned before, he was mentally unstable. He began going out more often, meeting girls, taking them out. The Rodgers let him, thinking he was cured.

The only link between the victims was that they were all acquaintances of Jacob.

They were tricked into trusting him, and once he got close enough he began experimenting on them, what little magic he had learnt.

Don't get me wrong, Jacob Rodgers is a brilliant man, of a superior mind.

Serial killers mostly are.

Unfortunately, he had a weapon normal people don't.

He had magic.

In those instances when his mind was his own, he realized he couldn't get away with it. Sooner or later someone would find out and take him away, back to that dreaded muggle hospital again. So, when he met Scorpius, who looked so similar to him, he realized he had his scapegoat who could take the blame. One other factor played a major role in this; a secret, which his sister had confessed to him unknowingly one day. Would you like to share this with us, June?" Peter finished, giving her a piercing look.

June had turned extremely pale during the entire monologue he had delivered.

At his question, she looked faint.

"Mrs. Malfoy, I rephrase my question. Can you tell us how exactly Scorpius Malfoy came to be your husband?" he questioned harshly. And even as he uttered the words, June fainted, causing uproar.

While everyone stood up to get a better look, and a few people rushed around to get water and help revive her, the Judge assessed the situation and called for lunch, asking them to reconvene after an hour.

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><p>As you can tell, the story is coming to an end. The next chapter will be a continuation of the Trial itself. After that, another chapter or two at max. Do let me know your thoughts :) To all those who have stuck with this story through the years, Thank you so much for your support! What started as a short story behind one of my notebooks has spiralled into this!<p>

Anyway, do leave a review :) Until next time!


	32. Chapter 31 - Trial continued

**Recap:**

"Mrs. Malfoy, I rephrase my question. Can you tell us how exactly Scorpius Malfoy came to be your husband?" he questioned harshly. And even as he uttered the words, June fainted, causing uproar. While everyone stood up to get a better look, and a few people rushed around to get water and help revive her, the Judge assessed the situation and called for lunch, asking them to reconvene after an hour.

The Trial continued...

**Once again, this is just out of my imagination. I have absolutely no idea how the whole trial thing works, so it's a mixture of what I've seen in movies/read in books and a little bit of my own creativity for it to fit my story :D **

**Thank you all for all the favs, reviews and alerts! And for sticking through the story, though it's been going on for years! **

** The story is finally over, though the epilogue is still left! **

**Do leave me your thoughts :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Rose rushed immediately towards Scorpius. She hoped that in all the chaos surrounding June, she could get a word with him, inform him of what was coming, so he wouldn't be ambushed later.<p>

But it wasn't to be.

The guards around him held their ground, refusing to budge either way. They were under strict orders, and they were abiding by them. Cursing her luck, she changed courses, looking for Al.

However it seemed that everyone important had left the scene. She realized that there must have been some development, so she hurried to the Auror Department, heart in her mouth.

"Rose, wait up!" a voice called out, and she stalled, turning to see who it was. "What do you think, so far?" Rick asked, falling in step with her as they made their way in the same direction.

"Blake is brilliant." She commented, not giving anything else away.

"That he is. We're lucky to be working with him." Rick said proudly. "Any idea where everyone is?" she asked. "Auror Department, I suppose. There was some commotion after June hit the floor." He guessed.

"Might as well check." She agreed, quickening her pace.

They were greeted with chaos as they neared the department. It was as crowded as it had been that morning, bustling with activity as aurors and related departments ran helter-skelter. There was tense anticipation in the air, and Rose knew that something big had happened.

"We've got him!" Al yelled, charging across the room as soon as he saw her, and enveloping her in a bone crushing hug, the joy eminent on his face. She was stunned for a moment, before her mind finally caught up with what he was saying, and she let out a whoop of laughter, clutching him closer.

"What? How? This is brilliant!" she exclaimed, pulling back to look at him, her eyes full of questions.

"Dad got a tip off from one of his sources. He's had feelers out for him for the past few days. It paid off I suppose!" Al explained.

"I need to go check if they need anything. I'll catch you back in the court room." he said, before running off.

She couldn't explain the relief she felt at the news, but she knew that it still wasn't over. It wouldn't be over till the hearing was through, till he was declared innocent.

She tried asking around, to get a bit more information, but everyone was extremely busy, and didn't have time to spare, or so it seemed.

Disappointed with her lack of progress, she looked around for her team members, hoping at least one of them would have some news.

"Here, eat." Rick ordered, appearing beside her suddenly, thrusting an apple into her palm. She laughed as she saw the fruit, her gaze questioning as she looked up at him.

"I know you won't stomach any other kind of food. And, it's going to be a long day, you need to eat something. So, an apple. Besides, I know it's your favourite fruit." he added, smiling as he bit into his own apple. She accepted it with a smile, acknowledging his thoughtfulness by taking a bite. They walked back together to the courtrooms, as she filled him in.

"Did they find your wand? That would be enough proof." Rick observed, deep in thought.

"I hope they did. Or they can at least beat a confession out of him!" she stated vehemently, her anger getting the better of her.

"Calm down, Rosie. He'll get what's coming to him." Rick reassured.

"Rose!" Draco Malfoy called out as soon as he saw her. She turned to see the Malfoys, together like before.

"Mr. Malfoy, did you hear?" she asked, smiling as she went up to them.

"No, what?" he asked looking skeptical.

"They caught Jacob Rodgers, Uncle Harry got a tip off earlier this morning." she informed them.

"Finally, do they have any evidence? Did he confess?" Draco wanted to know, a sense of urgency in his whole demeanor. Again, she observed his lack of expression, how tightly guarded he was.

"I don't know yet, they wouldn't let me in. We should be reconvening soon though." she said, and even as she spoke, people started re-entering the room for the next session.

* * *

><p>"Mr. Blake, if you would continue." Edward Robards gestured, giving him the floor again. "Of course, your honour." Blake replied, fully focused.<p>

There was a spring in his step, Rose observed and she really hoped they had enough evidence to convict the man they had just brought in.

A quick scan of the room told her that though they had captured him they hadn't brought him into court just yet.

"Mrs. Malfoy, can you please answer my question at least now." he began, addressing June straight away.

Next to her, Astoria flinched when she heard that title being used. It was then that Rose realized that no one had truly accepted her into the family.

"Why did Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy ask you to marry him?" Blake repeated, continuing as though there had never been a break.

"He was under the effect of a love potion." June finally choked out, bringing the room to a standstill.

"Point to be noted, ladies and gentlemen." Blake boomed and carried on, not waiting for anyone. "And by whom was this potion administered?" he probed.

"I slipped it into his drink during a party, in our 7th year at Hogwarts. We've been together ever since." June answered, her tone subdued, but clear enough for everyone to hear.

"How many times have you given him this potion, Mrs. Malfoy, and when was the last time you did so?" he asked, unwaveringly.

"I gave it almost every six months, every time I felt he was about to slip away." Came the answer, quite resolutely at that. It made Rose wonder whether she knew about her brother's arrest. "The last time was about seven months ago." She confessed.

"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy." Blake told her.

Then he turned to everyone else, picking up his tale again. "June Rodgers gave Mr. Malfoy a love potion at Hogwarts, at the age of seventeen, possibly out of an immature and foolish desire, to get what she wanted. She then made the grave error of telling her brother what she had done. She had adored her brother all her life, and in him, she confided everything. However, she had no idea whatsoever, about how he would use this piece of information.

When he met Scorpius Malfoy for the first time, during their graduation, he had a wonderful surprise. The object of his sister's affections looked a lot like him, a doppelganger, if you will. He soon worked out how the situation could be leveraged. June however, had realized by then that what she had done was wrong, that she couldn't continue with such a charade for the rest of her life.

Scorpius too was slowly coming out of it, not feeling the effect as strongly as he had before as the potion was wearing off. When June told Jacob about her plan to stop, he over powered her.

He used the very same information against her, using it to his maximum benefit.

He slipped the potion into Scorpius' drink this time around on her behalf, and forced June into the relationship, without her having much of a say in it. He blackmailed her with her darkest secret, and used them both to his advantage. On most days he required nothing from them, he did all the dirty work himself.

But when he committed murder, he had the perfect back up plan. To frame Scorpius, and get away scot free.

And, it almost worked, ladies and gentlemen.

But our Aurors, led by the humble Mr. Harry Potter, have caught Jacob Rodgers as of today. He is in our custody, and we shall have him brought in, as soon as he is cleared by the Auror Department.

Before I do that however, I would like to present this piece of evidence we gathered." Blake paused, picking up an envelope.

He revealed a photograph from within its depths, handing it over to Robards.

"That is a picture from 5 years ago, the night of their graduation to be precise." He announced, indicating Scorpius and June to the court. "And it shows us, if you look close enough, Mr. Jacob Rodgers mixing something in Mr. Malfoy's drink." He concluded, drawing gasps from most people.

Rose was stunned by his words. So they did have evidence all along! This would definitely prove that Scorpius hadn't been acting off his own free will. This, coupled with June's testimony should excuse him of all charges!

The picture was then enlarged and held up, for all to see.

It showed Lily Potter and Alice Longbottom in the forefront, posing in their gowns, big smiles on their faces. Just behind them however, was the scene of importance. Scorpius and June were in conversation with Al, who had a camera slung across his neck. Scorpius had his glass in hand, almost neglected to the side. Jacob was right behind him, a vial in his hand, inconspicuously hidden right behind the glass, as he tipped it in. As it was taken using a Wizard's camera, it moved in the same loop every five seconds.

Beside her, Rose saw Astoria clutch onto her husband's hand yet again.

Quite in shock, Rose turned to gauge Scorpius' reaction; something she had been avoiding all the while June had been speaking. All the colour had left his face, and he looked nauseous. However, he was sitting straighter now, his shoulders no longer hunched. Rose took that in itself a positive sign, and she turned her attention back to the scene.

Blake had been updating the jury on the measures taken to ensure the picture wasn't doctored, and had revealed the source to be Mr. Frank Longbottom. Given the credibility of the name, of being a war hero's son, the picture was allowed as proper evidence.

Blake then went on to reveal what Grace's mother had told Rose, presenting the picture she had provided, as evidence as well.

Suddenly, the court doors were opened, and Harry Potter walked in, bringing with him what seemed like an army of aurors. He led them to the front of the room, and slowly the aurors parted, revealing in their midst, the main accused, Jacob Rodgers.

"Ah, wonderful timing." Blake exclaimed, delighting in the fact that they had finally brought him in.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. Would you mind giving us your account of things?" Blake asked, turning to the Head auror in expectation.

"Alright." Harry agreed, taking the required oaths.

He then went on to explain the situation at Malfoy Manor, how Hermione had detected the wards had been tampered with, the fact that Rose had been kidnapped by a man who looked exactly like Draco Malfoy. He then briefly gave an account of how they had searched for her, and finally how he had found her.

"When Hermione Weasley mentioned that the wards could have been passed only by family members, however close or far, I immediately asked for intelligence on every living relative of the Malfoys. By his sister's marriage, Jacob Rodgers too was entitled to this role, and I had his file with me. When we found evidence that the man we were looking for might be him, I pulled up his details. It wasn't hard to track him down after that. We captured him at the muggle airport; he was trying to flee to Australia." Harry explained clearly, his voice ringing in the absolute silence that followed his arrival.

"We found Miss Rose Weasley's wand on him, one that he procured when he kidnapped her under the guise of being Draco Malfoy. We also found Draco Malfoy's sweater, the one that was stolen that very same morning, from which we suppose he obtained the required DNA for polyjuice. In his apartment we found traces of polyjuice potion and floo powder. He was also in possession of Mrs. June Malfoy's wand, which is why we didn't find it on her when she was brought in for questioning earlier." He continued, furnishing all the evidence in court as he spoke.

Rose felt a huge wave of relief course through her as she saw her wand in one piece. It also meant that they had enough evidence to convict him. She shifted in her seat, willing herself to stay calm till the whole hearing was over.

Draco put a calming hand on her shoulder, one of reassurance, and she gave him a faint smile.

"Well, in light of all this new evidence and Mr. Potter's testimony, I would like to call Mr. Jacob Rodgers to the stand." Blake announced, drawing silence immediately.

Rose watched on, as he made his way to the seat. She could see his face only at an angle, but what she saw made her happy. He had a defeated look on his face, one worse that Scorpius'. He too hadn't shaved in what seemed like years. It was a stark difference between the handsome boy in the photograph, and the man in front of her today. His hair was matted, his eyes sunken. He had lost a lot of weight, she assumed, or maybe it was an effect of all the medication.

She studied him with a keen eye as he took the oaths as well. Then came the question everyone had been waiting for.

"Mr. Jacob Rodgers, how do you plead?" Blake asked, his voice booming across the room.

The silence was thundering, the anticipation thick in the room. Rose waited with bated breath for his response, one that would change everything. She hoped it would be one that would finally free them of this burden, one that would set things right again. He wouldn't be very heavily punished, given his medical condition, but he would be given the required treatment, locked away so he wouldn't repeat his heinous crimes ever again.

The silence stretched on, and it was extremely constricting. She felt time slow to a complete standstill at the point, anxiety getting the better of her. She couldn't bear to look over at Scorpius, not in any frame of mind to even imagine what he might be going through at that moment. Her finger nails were digging deep into her palms, and it was only that pain that was keeping her grounded to reality. She couldn't unclench her fists, because then she would lose her grip, on the situation, on the world.

"I plead guilty." Jacob breathed, at long last, and that one sentence gave her more joy that she had ever experienced. The utter joy and jubilation due to his declaration was massive.

It seemed like the whole court house exhaled a breath they had been collectively holding, waiting for his statement. A huge grin worked its way onto her face, once her brain finally caught onto what was happening.

Once Jacob admitted his guilt, it was only a matter of time before the whole story was in front of everyone to see. The whole gruesome tale, out in the open, laid bare to be judged.

Rose barely paid attention, while the last few formalities were being cleared up. Her head was spinning with the amount of information she had received, and the outcome of the hearing. She had wished for it with all her heart, and the relief she felt was insurmountable, but the fact that he was actually free, was something she couldn't quite wrap her head around.

Astoria was openly weeping, while an equally stunned Draco consoled her. Al's face had regained its color as his body sagged with relief after his father's statement.

Rose had eyes only for Scorpius, however.

As if he felt her gaze, he turned, his eyes locking with hers as soon as he found her.

In that second, she knew he would be alright. It was going to be a long, incredibly difficult journey. But, they had made it so far, and she was sure he would be able to make it across.

He turned his attention back to the proceedings, but she continued observing him for a long while after, lost in her own thoughts as her mind tried to come to terms with everything that was happening.

"…declares Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy innocent of all charges." Edward Robards said with finality, echoing the verdict passed by the jury. The room burst into applause, everyone happy with the decision. Even those who had been screaming for Scorpius' conviction, were happy that justice had been served, and to the right man.

The minute the session was adjourned, there was absolute chaos. Reporters, who had been kept at bay till it had ended, swept in on them, cameras flashing alarmingly, in their frenzy to record every last detail. Everyone, whom they deemed important enough, was being harassed for statements and comments.

Rose tried to remain invisible, wanting to get her wand back before anything else. A tap on her shoulder, made her turn to see Rick right behind her. "I figured you would need this." He grinned, handing her her wand back.

"Thanks", she smiled gratefully, feeling the magic flow through her fingers as she was reunited with her wand. She pocketed it, and was about to go find Al, when he stopped her. He thrust a small vial into her hand, and she looked up at him in confusion. "It's the antidote; I figured you should be the one to give it to him." Rick answered.

"This is perfect, thanks Rick." She said. "Just trying to make it up to you." He shrugged, giving her a one armed hug before running off to find Blake. She stared after him, trying to figure him out as he disappeared head first amongst the people, but was soon jostled back to reality by the milling crowd.

She looked at the vial in her hand, and she decided to finally face her fears.

His blond hair was hard to miss, really, so it made her job that much easier. He was seated on one of the big couches in the Department, Astoria sitting next to him, clinging onto him tight, afraid to let him go again. Draco stood beside him and next to him was Narcissa, closing the ranks. None of them were speaking, just happy to be back together, after the terrifying ordeal.

Her heart was beating unnaturally fast, as she approached the family, but she didn't stop.

The reporters had been given strict instructions not to bother them, and arrangements had been made for a special press conference the next day, where Scorpius would give his statement. For the time being however, the Malfoys were huddled together, a solid unit. People would occasionally stop by, to have a quick word, but other than that, they were mostly left alone.

She realized Al was with them, as she got a bit closer. "The paperwork should come through by evening, they'll want to hurry this along because of all the mistakes made." He was explaining.

Before she could hesitate, Narcissa Malfoy spotted her, and motioned for her to join them. At her action, Draco too looked up and called out to her. She quickened her pace and put on her best brave face, ready to see him.

Before anyone could react, Astoria Malfoy launched herself at her, giving her a bone crushing hug. Rose, though bewildered, held on to the woman, patting her back to give her the reassurance she so obviously required.

"That's enough mum, let the poor girl breathe." Scorpius said, resting his hand on her back. His fingers brushed hers for a fraction of a second, and it took all of her will power not to breakdown right there.

"Thank you, Rose. For everything you and your family have done." Astoria said, releasing her and settling back next to her son. Rose just smiled, not trusting her voice at all.

She still couldn't bring herself to look at him, so she turned to Al instead, begging him silently to help her out.

"Yes, as I was saying, June will also be going to Azkaban, for 3 years, as an accessory to murder, as well as the illegal use of potions." Al continued, bailing her out.

"Good Riddance." Narcissa commented, making Draco chuckle.

"That reminds me, I have this." Rose spoke up, handing Scorpius the vial, not meeting his eyes.

He stared at it warily, not wanting to ingest any suspicious potions ever again.

"It's the antidote; you might not feel it's effects very strongly as it has been over six months since you last took the potion, but it's still in your blood stream. The antidote will make sure that you aren't under its influence any longer." She explained, urging him to take it.

Scorpius just nodded once, looking her straight in the eye, before swallowing it in one go. Once it was done, he smiled up at her, and she beamed back, his family surrounding them, and in that moment, nothing else mattered.

* * *

><p><strong>If it seems rather rushed, it's because I was trying to capture Rose's thoughts. She's torn between her profession and her heart, which puts her in quite a 's in a daze. which reflects in the rush of events. I hope I conveyed that right.<br>**

**The** **story is over, just an epilogue left where I'll tie up all the loose ends. **

**Once again, thank you all for reading, and staying by me through this wonderful journey! If you have any questions, concerns or constructive criticism, feel free to drop me a PM or review :) **

**Until next time, then :)**


	33. Epilogue

For the first time in a long while, Rose Weasley was off her game. However, it didn't have anything to do with the fact that she hadn't sat on a broom since she had graduated over 6 years ago, and had everything to do with the fact that a certain blond was distracting her. And, from where she sat perched on her Nimbus 3000, waiting by the goal posts, it almost looked like he was doing it on purpose.

He was diving about, pulling off spectacular moves around her, and smirking at her all the while in triumph; making her lose track of the quaffle and the game every single time. She sighed in frustration as the quaffle whizzed past her for the umpteenth time, into the loop behind her, and gave him a warning look before diving once more for the red ball to get it back in play. Either Scorpius Malfoy couldn't see it, or he chose to ignore it, because he was soon back to his antics.

"Rose, get your head in the game! Scorpius, stop distracting her! We're all on the same team, remember. " Their captain, a very irate Albus Potter, yelled from across the pitch. "Sorry, Al." the echoed back, before flying off in different directions. Rose took a look at the score, and she was sure they would lose this. It was only a matter of time before the game wrapped up, and for once she was perfectly fine with it. After all it was only a 'friendly' game with her cousins; something that was always taken well out of context in their household.

Right now, all she could think of was her granny's chicken and treacle tart that would follow. "Stop thinking about food, Weasley." Scorpius whispered in her ear suddenly, his voice low and teasing. Before she could retort, he was half way across the field, well out of her reach. For a second she was stunned, after which she broke into a smile as to exactly how well he knew her.

She took in his appearance, his windswept hair, cheeks slightly pink due to exertion, sweat beading on his forehead due to the heat, and his stormy eyes. She got lost in the moment, admiring how far he had come in the past year. It was 10 months and 17 days (Not that she was counting, or anything…) since they had won the hearing, and the journey hadn't been all that smooth.

However, the fact that he was here, playing quidditch so normally, and laughing was indeed a testament to how well he had coped. Rose stared after him, long after he had flown past, watching his every move. The intense concentration on his face, the way his muscles flexed as he swerved the bludgers that came his way, the ease with which he maneuvered his broom, and most importantly, the smile on his face. It was almost carefree, _almost_.

She knew exactly how hard it had been for him to get to this place. After the gruelling trial, the fact that he had his will back, that he wasn't being controlled by anyone else, that his mind and his emotions were his alone had overwhelmed him. Added to that, were night terrors from his time in Azkaban, and his constant need for companionship, for the thought of being all alone after so long was terrifying. He had a lot of emotional baggage to deal with, after June, and none of it was easy to come to terms with. Sure, he didn't love the girl at all. But, it was hard to ignore that they had been married, and had lost a child, all due to a psychotic man.

He hadn't been sorry to see June being led away to Azkaban, but deep down, he had been extremely scared to lose the one thing that he had had all this time. Adjusting to a life without her was in itself a mammoth task. At first, he had isolated himself from everyone, needing time with his family to heal. He had disappeared over night, whisked away to France by Narcissa, where no one would recognize him, or ask any questions. A month later, she had heard from him, finally. Just a letter, asking her to meet with him, with the address provided for her to visit.

She had gone immediately, dropping everything in a heartbeat, willing him to be alright.

He had been a mess, just like she had expected, but not as bad as she had imagined. He had broken down that night, apologizing over and over for things that hadn't been in his control. She had been helpless, and couldn't do anything to console him. But by the time dawn had broken, she knew he was much more at peace than before. She had helped him regroup, to assimilate the pieces of his life, to get back into the groove again.

He took up a job at Malfoy Inc., serving alongside his father. Work helped him bring things back to focus, and she and Al became his support system. Draco Malfoy had taken them aside personally and had called in a favor, wanting to ensure his son was back to normal as soon as possible. It had been an excruciating journey, and many times she couldn't even imagine what he was going through, but he had made it. Slowly he had re-entered the social circle, facing people and their comments head on. Al had been by his side throughout in public, helping him regroup. On the inside however, it was to Rose that he turned. He never really asked for help, and nor did she offer it.

It was a mutual understanding between them, one forged between friends of a lifetime. He needed her and she was there for him, no questions asked.

Professionally for her, the trial had been a huge career booster. Having been so involved in the trial proceedings, and in the limelight with the upper management of the firm in such a crucial case, she had received rewards appropriately. The case had given her recognition and much more power at her work place, her status being uplifted greatly, from 'coffee girl' to becoming a part of the core team. Between juggling her career and Scorpius, Rose had had a hectic few months. But, she had never let the former compromise her attention towards Scorpius. He was and always would be her first priority, now more than ever.

She was extremely proud of him for handling things the way he had. Others would have been bogged down by the events that had transpired, but he hadn't. He had proved yet again to the world just how strong he was, overcoming all the hurdles life had thrown in his path.

Speaking of hurdles, one was hurtling towards her right now in the form of a bludger. Should have paid attention to the game, was her last though before it hit her with a dull 'thunk', and the darkness enveloped her mind.

* * *

><p>Scorpius Malfoy had always prided himself on his quick reflex. Ever since a toddler he had always had unusually fast responses, and the gift had gotten him out of harm's way many a times. It was what had made him such a brilliant seeker as well, and he had led his team to victory on a number of occasions in their school days. So, as he watched a certain red-headed witch get hit by a bludger and fall out of the sky, he thanked his stars for this wonderful gift while pulling out his wand and casting a charm to steady her, before she hit the ground.<p>

Within seconds, she had been surrounded by a horde of Weasleys, all extremely concerned and thankful that she wasn't too seriously injured. Once they had made sure she would live, they took their positions in the air again, Merlin forbid the match ended without a winner.

Scorpius, however, had his priorities straight, the topmost being the well being of the unconscious, yet beautiful witch in his hands. Abandoning the game, despite the death threats from his other best friend, he made his way back to the Burrow, an injured Rose Weasley in tow. He couldn't let anything happen to her. Especially because he still hadn't worked up the courage to confess his love for her. He willed his heart to stop racing, assuring himself that the only damage had been a slight bruise to her head where the ball had struck.

Cursing himself yet again for distracting her mid air, he handed her over to Hermione Weasley and the other mothers, who gave her the required attention.

As they fussed over her, his mind wandered over the past few months and everything she meant to him. He knew he was staring, but he couldn't care less. She was beautiful, with her wild curls and blue eyes; she had captivated him right from day one. He had been in love with the girl for what seemed like forever now, and it frustrated him to think that nothing would ever happen between them. The entire fiasco (that's how he had started referring to it) with June Rodgers had ensured that even if she had had slight feelings towards him back at Hogwarts, there was no revisiting that ever again.

Given everything Al had told him, she had definitely fancied him in their school days. But after his spectacular break of her trust, he was surprised she was still speaking to him. The hearing had been 10 months before, and for most part, he was still recovering from it. His time at Azkaban had scarred him severely; nightmares were a regular occurrence now, as were his anti-depressants and other potions. This was another reason keeping him from confessing his feelings to a certain red head. She had dealt with enough on his account; he didn't want to burden her with any more of his baggage.

His eyes sought out Rose again, as his thoughts wandered to how much things had changed over the past few years. She had been too dependent on him for everything in Hogwarts, had hung on his every word, not questioning him even once. He had taken her under his wing, looking out for her to ensure she was never hurt. After June, he realized, he had neglected her completely, and she had been stranded, all alone.

Her journey to the strong woman in front of him now had been remarkable, and he had missed it completely.

She was independent now, making her own decision, not taking nonsense from anyone. She was incredibly strong; she had been for both of them, through the trial and after. The dynamics of their relationship had been altered tremendously, and he realized that he was now the dependant, socially awkward one.

Then again, he also saw the other side. She had lots of friends now, and she chatted with everyone at work, but she didn't trust anyone. She had become a lot more guarded, and most of the time even he didn't know what she was thinking. He had always been able to read her like an open book in Hogwarts, so this new side of her scared him, but excited him all the same. He was almost addicted to her, and he was at a point that he couldn't imagine life without her anymore.

Al was constantly pestering him to tell her how he felt, and had left more than a heavy hint that her reaction would be in his favour, but he had never acted on it, till now. He knew some guy at her work place, Rick someone, was as fascinated by her as he was. Off late, he had also sensed that she was hiding something from him. There was no way that he was going to lose her again, at least, not without a fight.

* * *

><p>"What can I do to help?" she asked, watching her grand mum add finishing touches to the treacle tart. "Be a dear and set the table, will you Rose? I'll send whoever I can to help you." Hermione said, thrusting the plates into her hand. Rose took the stack happily, and all but ran out of the kitchen, making her way to the back yard, where Fleur and Andrea had arranged the tables. She began her job, quietly humming to herself as she did.<p>

It indeed was a beautiful, balmy summer evening, perfect for an outdoor family dinner. She let her mind wander down dangerous paths again; contemplating everything there was with Scorpius.

She couldn't help but wonder what life would have been like without June and her meddling ways. It had happened however, and she couldn't ignore the five whole years in between, that had changed her life in so many ways. Scorpius, too, was different now. He wasn't the same boy she had fallen in love with all those years ago, and she couldn't expect him to be. Given the trauma he had gone through, it was miraculous that the guy could even crack a smile. Even after all they had been through however, Rose had realized that a large part of her would always love him. It was inexplicable, absolutely bizarre, but true nonetheless. And she couldn't do anything to change it. She had soon realized that she didn't want to either.

After the trial, they had headed down the same path as before, growing too close to each other, than was fair on either of them. The dynamics of their relationship had changed though, to such an extent that it had almost done a 180. He was dependent on her now, and she was the strong, level-headed one, keeping them both afloat. Their co-dependence on each other had always been worrisome, and Al had warned her right in the beginning, wanting to ensure things didn't get messy for her again. She had brushed him off, reassuring him that it was nothing to worry about. Besides, he thought of her only as a friend, nothing else. Al had been weary, but had let them be, not wanting to push it, so soon after the trial.

Thinking back, she realized that she should have probably kept some distance. Her attraction to the man was extremely obvious, and she wasn't sure how much longer of this she could take. Her entire childhood had been spent pining after him, misinterpreting every signal from him as something it wasn't. Or maybe it had been something then, but it was well in the past. They were both mature adults now, so a proper conversation would be the right thing to have, rather than continuing down this treacherous path.

He had grown accustomed to holding onto her every time they were together. She was sure he did it absent mindedly, a subconscious cry for assurance that he wasn't alone. It was small things, like holding her hand, or playing with her hair; something to keep his hands occupied. She didn't mind it; oh she didn't mind it at all. It was hard to ignore the thrills this contact sent down her spine, though. She suppressed it as much as possible, knowing how damaging it could be if he caught on. He was still healing from all the scars June had left, and she was sure that a relationship was the farthest thought from his mind.

Maybe that's why this opportunity to get away was the best thing that she had come across in a long time. Her mind screamed at her to take it and run; but her heart was set on Scorpius Malfoy. She knew she had to have a talk with him soon. She didn't want him to hear it from anyone else. But she had no idea how to bring it up, or when for that matter.

She was still lost in thoughts when she felt him come up behind her, snaking his arms around her middle, in greeting. She stiffened for a second, well aware of their precarious position, before relaxing and turning her head slightly to smile up at him. He grinned down at her, giving her a proper hug before releasing her and stepping around to help her. "Good game?" Rose asked, willing away the blood from her cheeks. "Are you ok? I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have distracted you." he apologized, worried as usual. "I'm perfect." She smiled, reveling in his attention.

Stopping her work for a second, she watched him. In the late evening sunlight, he looked absolutely gorgeous, the slanting rays highlighting his blond hair and skin, the light dancing off his eyes. He had just showered, leaving his hair still slightly damp; and in his crisp white shirt and jeans, he was mesmerizing, he always had been.

Before she could say anything, her family descended on them, loud and boisterous as ever, giving her another chance to escape. "We need to talk." She told him quietly, away from the prying ears of her family. "On the pitch, after dinner?" he acquiesced, curious but weary all the same. She gave his hand a small squeeze before moving across the table and sitting with his mother. She felt his eyes on her all through the meal, but she ignored it, participating in random conversations enthusiastically to avert suspicion. He wasn't fooled however, and she knew it.

* * *

><p>Almost 3 hours later, they walked along the same pitch they had been playing on that afternoon. "How's your head?" he asked, still concerned about her health.<p>

"A bit sore, but I'll be fine." She said, cutting him short.

She had a lot to say, and working up the nerve to tell him had not been easy. But now that she had him alone, she wanted to say her piece. "I got a promotion." She announced.

"That's wonderful, Rose," he congratulated, relief washing over his features at her declaration. He had obviously been worried, and this news was welcome compared to what had been running through his head all through dinner.

"That's not all. They want me to lead a team. I'm moving to France." She told him squarely, rendering him speechless. He looked thunderstruck, and she suspected that her next statement would do worse damage. She went through with it though, "I want you to move with me." she said, holding her breath for his reaction.

His expression was guarded, hidden behind his shock. When he was not forthcoming with a reaction, her nervous habit took over. "I've considered it a lot. I've also spoken to Narcissa. I think the change would do you good. She agrees with me. Besides, it's not very far, just a portkey away. You could" she didn't get much further, as he stopped her ramblings the only way he knew how. He kissed her, at long last, conveying all that he could through it. She held onto him for dear life, glad she had taken the chance. When they finally broke apart, he couldn't stop grinning, that beautiful smile now a permanent fixture on his face.

"I'll take that as a yes?" she grinned back, before pulling him down for another kiss.

They had both been victims, mainly of misunderstandings and sometimes each other. But what was important was that they had moved not, not letting life bring them down. They were both healing, and what better way than to do it together.

Much later, they walked back home, hand in hand, to announce their decision to their family, and shout it to the world.

For finally, the trial was over, and they were together.

* * *

><p><strong>THE END<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I realize it's not what most of you expected, but I really did struggle hard over this chapter to give it a proper ending.<strong>

**I hope I have done it justice. **

**Thank you all my dear readers for supporting me through this wondrous (and exceptionally long) journey. I've loved writing the story, and I hope I get down to editing it one day.**

**A huge thanks to all my reviewers! They really did inspire me to continue, and push through with this. **

**Thank you to all of you who have alerted and favorite-ed The Trial! It means a lot to me :) **

**Thanks you guys! **

**Until next time then :)**


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